Reclaimed resin composition

ABSTRACT

A regenerated resin composition comprising (I) a molded article pulverized material (Component A) that satisfies conditions  
     (1) that the molded article pulverized material is a pulverized material of a molded article having an aromatic polycarbonate resin content of 30 to 98% by weight,  
     (2) that the pulverized material has a viscosity average molecular weight of 17,000 to 30,000, and  
     (3) that the pulverized material has a wet heat retention ratio of at least 60%, and  
     (II) an aromatic polycarbonate resin (Component B).  
     According to the present invention, there is provided a regenerated resin composition that comprises a pulverized material from a molded article made of an aromatic polycarbonate resin and that is excellent in the property of retaining physical properties for a long period of time and excellent in mechanical strength.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a regenerated resin composition.More specifically, it relates to a regenerated resin composition that isexcellent in mechanical strength and recycle-efficiency since apulverized molded article that satisfies specific conditions is used forthe regenerated resin composition.

[0003] 2. Prior Art

[0004] An aromatic polycarbonate resin has excellent mechanicalproperties and thermal properties, so that it is industrially widelyused. A great number of polymer alloys prepared by blending an aromaticpolycarbonate resin with other thermoplastic resins and flame-retardantpolycarbonate resin compositions containing flame retardants forimproving flame retardancy have been developed, and these alloys andcompositions are widely used in the fields of office automationappliances, electric and electronic machines and equipment, automobilesand other miscellaneous goods. In recent years, the use of a resincomposition prepared by incorporating an ABS resin and a flame retardantinto an aromatic polycarbonate resin is remarkably increasing in partssuch as housing of office automation appliances and electric andelectronic machines and equipment, and phosphoric ester is about toconstitute a main stream as the flame retardant.

[0005] On the other hand, in recent years, a reuse of disused products,so-called “recycle”, has been actively studied from the viewpoint ofreuse of resources and environmental protection, and the recycling isone of important issues in the field of office automation appliancesusing a large amount of resins as described above.

[0006] For the above recycling of a resin, there have been mainlyemployed a method in which a collected resin is used in fields where noadvanced mechanical properties or flame retardancy is speciallyrequired. In recent years, however, it is demanded to accomplish aconcept inherent in the term “recycle”, that is, a so-called “closedrecycle” by allowing a regenerated resin composition to attainproperties nearly equivalent to the properties inherent in a resincomposition before regeneration. Under the existing circumstances, forthis purpose, attempts are made to incorporate a proper amount of aso-called “virgin-resin” into a resin recovered from scrapped productsfor obtaining a regenerated resin composition having properties close tothe properties of a resin composition before the regeneration.

[0007] However, accomplishment of the above recycling in the aromaticpolycarbonate resin containing other resin or a flame retardant involvesthe following problems.

[0008] 1. In a process of collecting and obtaining a resin, appliancesto be collected are liable to be placed in an environment where thedeterioration of an aromatic polycarbonate resin proceeds.

[0009] 2. In this case, the presence of a flame retardant, particularly,a phosphoric ester or alkali (alkaline earth) metal salts of aninorganic and an organic acid and other resins can constitute a factorthat causes the above deterioration, particularly, promotes hydrolysis,and the deterioration sometimes proceeds to a great extent.

[0010] 3. When a resin containing the above deteriorating factor or adeteriorated resin is recycled, a regenerated resin composition cannotaccomplish the properties nearly equivalent to properties that a memberhas had before the regeneration. For accomplishing such properties, itis inevitably required to decrease the content of a collected resin, andthe recycle-efficiency decreases.

[0011] 4. Further, environments in which products are used and timeperiods for which the product are used are not uniform, so that theproducts differ in degree of final deterioration, and collected resinsare liable to vary in quality. For maintaining the properties constantlyat a certain level or higher in such a variability range, it is requiredto set the amount ratio of a collected resin to a virgin-resin in alower limit value of the variability, which results in a decrease inrecycle-efficiency.

[0012] 5. For improving recycle-efficiency, there may be employed amethod in which products are thoroughly managed and collected productsare thoroughly managed so that, for example, the collected products areclassified into products produced nearly at the same period and formedfrom the same material to reuse. However, this measure simply increasesa recycle cost, which results in a failure in the intended purpose.

[0013] On the other hand, concerning the recycling of an aromaticpolycarbonate resin, various proposals have been so far made in thefield of optical recording medium typified by compact disks (CD). Forexample, JP-A-8-311326 discloses an aromatic polycarbonate resincomposition comprising a pulverized CD material, an aromaticpolycarbonate resin and an ABS resin. In the recycling proposed in theabove Publication, however, it is not much necessary to attachimportance to the above problems. That is, the situation differs in thefollowing points.

[0014] (i) CDs, etc., are made mostly of an aromatic polycarbonate resinalone except for a small amount of additives and cause the abovedeterioration problem in few or almost no cases in principle, so that noor little problem on variability of product quality is caused.

[0015] (ii) CDs are made from a resin having low impact resistance, andthe composition of a regenerated resin composition is designed on thebasis of the above property.

[0016] With regard to an aromatic polycarbonate resin containing a flameretardant such as phosphoric ester or various salts or other resin suchas an ABS resin or a polyester resin, therefore, there are demanded amethod of effective recycling thereof and a regenerated resincomposition having good properties. Under the present conditions,however, no proposal therefor has been found.

[0017] That is, there is strongly demanded a regenerated resincomposition which is a product regenerated from widely collected disusedmolded articles made of resin compositions containing a polycarbonateresin, which is excellent in recycle-efficiency and which has goodmechanical strength sufficient for application of the regenerated resincomposition to a variety of products.

PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0018] It is an object of the present invention to provide a regeneratedresin composition that permits a high recycle-efficiency and propertiesnearly equivalent to the properties of a member before the regenerationwhen the regenerated resin composition is produced by collecting moldedarticles made of resin compositions containing an aromatic polycarbonateresin and mixing the thus-collected resin with other virgin-resin.

[0019] The present inventor has made diligent studies and as a resulthas found that the above problems can be overcome by using, as apulverized material from collected molded articles, a pulverized moldedarticle material satisfying specific conditions with regard to amolecular weight and wet heat resistance and preparing a resincomposition from such a pulverized molded article material and anaromatic polycarbonate resin.

MEANS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS

[0020] According to the present invention, the above object is achievedby a regenerated resin composition comprising

[0021] (I) a molded article pulverized material (Component A) thatsatisfies conditions

[0022] (1) that the pulverized molded article material is a pulverizedmaterial of a molded article having an aromatic polycarbonate resincontent of 30 to 98% by weight,

[0023] (2) that the pulverized material has a viscosity averagemolecular weight of 17,000 to 30,000, and

[0024] (3) that the pulverized material has a wet heat retention ratioof at least 60%, and

[0025] (II) an aromatic polycarbonate resin (Component B).

[0026] The regenerated resin composition of the present invention willbe explained further in detail hereinafter.

[0027] The molded article pulverized material as Component A in thepresent invention will be explained. The molded article pulverizedmaterial for use in the present invention does not impose any speciallimitation on properties required of a product formed of a moldedarticle, such as the use field, form and color of the molded article anduse period and environment of the molded article. Further, thepulverized material shall not be limited to a pulverized materialprepared from a specific molded article, and pulverized materialsprepared from at least one kind of molded article may be mixed for use.

[0028] In the present invention, the “molded article” for Component Aincludes {circle over (1)} a molded article that is commercially used aspart of a product and collected after completion of period of use of theproduct by a consumer and {circle over (2)} a molded article obtained bymolding pellets of a virgin resin at least once in a molding step, suchas an inferior product that takes place in the steps of producing aproduct or a molded article collected as a product in store in theprocess of distribution. Incidental molded articles such as a productmade on an experimental basis, an inferior product, a sprue and a runnerthat take place in the steps of molding may be incorporated in theregenerated resin composition to such an extent that the incorporationis generally carried out in the industry of molded articles.

[0029] In the present specification, Titles of Components and Contentsof Components have the following meanings. Title of Component; Contentof Component Component A Pulverized material of molded article ComponentA-1; Polycarbonate resin in Component A Component A-2-PS; Styrene-basedresin in Component A Component A-2-PE; Aromatic polyester resin inComponent A Component A-3; Flame retardant in Component A ComponentA-3-a; Phosphoric ester as flame retardant in Component A ComponentA-3-b; Organic siloxane compound as flame retardant in Component AComponent A-3-c; Alkali (alkaline earth) metal salt as flame retardantin Component A Component A-4; Impact modifier in Component A ComponentA-5; Inorganic filler in Component A Component B; Virgin polycarbonateresin Component C; Regenerated resin composition Component C-1;Polycarbonate resin in Component C Component C-2-PS; Styrene-based resinin Component C Component C-2-PE; Aromatic polyester resin in Component CComponent C-3; Flame retardant in Component C Component C-3-a;Phosphoric ester as flame retardant in Component C Component C-3-b;Organosiloxane compound as flame retardant in Component C ComponentC-3-c: Alkali (alkaline earth) metal salt as flame retardant inComponent C Component C-4; Impact modifier in Component C Component C-5;Inorganic filler in Component C

[0030] The molded article pulverized material (Component A) is amaterial containing 30 to 98% by weight of an aromatic polycarbonateresin (Component A-1). Further, it is required to use a pulverizedmaterial having (1) a viscosity average molecular weight, to be definedlater, of 17,000 to 30,000 and (2) a wet heat retention ratio, to bedefined later, of at least 60%.

[0031] When the content of the aromatic polycarbonate resin (ComponentA-1) in the pulverized material (Component A) is 30 to 98% by weight,preferably 40 to 90% by weight, the effect of the present invention isexhibited. The content of an aromatic polycarbonate resin in the moldedarticle pulverized material as Component A can be analyzed by anycombination of an isolation method such as alkali decompositiontreatment, pyrolysis treatment or solvent extraction treatment with amethod of comparing specific peaks on the basis of relative intensitiessuch as IR analysis, NMR analysis, pyrolysis gas chromatography,infrared analysis, UV analysis, SIMS analysis or ESCA analysis, and sucha content can be easily determined.

[0032] Further, Component A has a viscosity average molecular weight of17,000 to 30,000, preferably 18,000 to 26,000. When the viscosityaverage molecular weight is lower than 17,000, the amount ratio ofComponent A to a virgin resin for increasing the mechanical strength ofa regenerated resin composition is low, and the recycle efficiency isnot fully high. Further, when a resin composition before regeneration iscaused to have a low molecular weight due to deterioration, such adeteriorated composition is a factor to deteriorate a regenerated resincomposition and can promote deterioration during the production of theregenerated resin composition, so that it is difficult to attainmechanical strength, etc., stably. When the viscosity average molecularweight is higher than 30,000, moldability decreases, so that a thermalload during the production of a regenerated resin compositionundesirably increases, and when the amount ratio of Component A istherefore decreased, the recycle-efficiency is caused to decrease.

[0033] The viscosity average molecular weight for identifying the aboveComponent A is determined as follows. First, Component A that is amolded article pulverized material is dissolved in methylene chloridehaving a weight 20 to 30 times the weight of Component A, a solublecontent is sampled by Celite filtration, then, the solvent is fullyremoved, and the remainder is dried, to obtain amethylene-chloride-soluble solid. A solution of 0.7 g of the above solidin 100 ml of methylene chloride is used to determine a specificviscosity at 20° C., which is calculated on the basis of the followingequation, with an Ostwald viscometer.

Specific viscosity (η_(SP))=(t−t ₀)/t ₀

[0034] wherein t₀ is a time period that dropping of methylene chloridetakes by the second and t is a time period that dropping of a samplesolution takes by the second.

[0035] Further, the above-determined specific viscosity is substitutedin the following equation, to determine a viscosity average molecularweight M.

η_(SP) /c=[η]+0.45×[η]² c

[η]=1.23×10 ⁻⁴ M ^(0.83)

c=0.7

[0036] On the other hand, the wet heat retention ratio defined foridentifying Component A in the present invention refers to a valuedefined by the following equation on the basis of the above viscosityaverage molecular weight obtained by allowing a molded articlepulverized material under a wet heat pressure-elevated environment of120° C. and 100% RH for 24 hours measuring the thus-treated pulverizedmaterial.

[0037] Wet heat retention ratio (%)=(viscosity average molecular weightafter the wet heat treatment/viscosity average molecular weight beforethe wet heat treatment)×100.

[0038] When the above wet heat retention ratio is less than 60%, amolded article from a regenerated resin composition comes to have lowmechanical properties. That is because a material failing to satisfy theabove wet heat retention ratio is liable to cause deterioration duringthe production of a regenerated resin composition. More preferred is amaterial having the above wet heat retention ratio of at least 70%.

[0039] The present invention uses a molded article pulverized material(Component A) containing a specific amount of an aromatic polycarbonateresin, having a specific viscosity average molecular weight and havingthe wet heat retention ratio specified in the present invention. Amolded article pulverized material satisfying the above conditions canbe easily selected by the above simple method, and a collected resincomposition containing an aromatic polycarbonate resin and having avariety of product qualities and/or compositions can be remarkablyeffectively utilized. And, a regenerated resin composition obtained bymixing such a collected resin composition with an aromatic polycarbonateresin (Component B) that is a virgin-resin can stably accomplishexcellent mechanical properties.

[0040] While the form of the molded article pulverized material asComponent A in the present invention is not critical, preferably, apulverized material having a maximum-particle major diameter in therange of from 1 to 30 mm is preferred in view of processability andhandling properties. A collected molded article can be pulverized with aknown pulverizing machine. For example, the pulverizing machine can beselected from a rotary cutter mill, a roll crusher, a hammer crusher, adisk mill, a pin mill, a turbo mill or a jet mill.

[0041] The amount ratio of Component A in the regenerated resincomposition (Component C) per 100% by weight of the regenerated resincomposition is preferably 5 to 60% by weight. It is more preferably 6 to50% by weight, still more preferably 7 to 40% by weight, yet morepreferably 10 to 40% by weight, particularly preferably 10 to 35% byweight. When the amount ratio of Component A is 5 to 60% by weight,excellent recycle efficiency can be accomplished together with excellentmechanical properties and long-lasting properties.

[0042] The content of the aromatic polycarbonate resin (Component B) inthe regenerated resin composition (Component C) is 5 to 90% by weight,preferably 10 to 85% by weight, particularly preferably 20 to 85% byweight based on the composition.

[0043] The pulverized material (Component A) is preferably a materialprepared by removing those components which are other than the resincomposition and are derived from surface processing of a molded article,such as a printing film, a seal, a label, a face coating film, aconductive coating, a conductive plating, vapor deposition, etc., suchthat the content thereof in the pulverized material is 1% by weight orless, and pulverizing the molded article. When higher impact resistanceis particularly demanded, the above is a more preferred requirement.

[0044] The method of removing the above surface-coating components suchas a printing film and a plating includes a method of rolling a materialbetween two rolls, a method of brining a material into contact with hotpressurized water, various solvent or an acid or alkaline aqueoussolution, a method of scraping such a coating film portion off, a methodof exposing a material to ultrasonic waves and a blasting method. Thesemethods can be used in combination.

[0045] While the molded article pulverized material as Component A maybe a material substantially made of an aromatic polycarbonate resinalone, a usual molded article pulverized material contains othercomponents in addition to an aromatic polycarbonate resin. Although notspecially limited, examples of the other components include athermoplastic resin, a flame retardant, a dripping preventing agent, areinforcing filler, an impact modifier, a lubricant, a stabilizer, acolorant, an ultraviolet absorbent, an antioxidant and a mold releaseagent. A pulverized material of a molded article particularly containinga flame retardant and other thermoplastic resin can be preferably usedin that an excellent regenerated resin composition is obtained.

[0046] Preferred embodiments of components and compositions other thanan aromatic polycarbonate resin in the molded article pulverizedmaterial as Component A will be explained below.

[0047] In addition to an aromatic polycarbonate resin (Component A-1),preferably, Component A in the present invention contains astyrene-based resin (Component A-2-PS) or an aromatic polyester resin(Component A-2-PE). In this case, advantageously, the content of thestyrene-based resin (Component A-2-PS) or the aromatic polyester resin(Component A-2-PE) in Component A is 1 to 65% by weight, preferably 5 to50% by weight, particularly preferably 10 to 40% by weight.

[0048] In addition to the aromatic polycarbonate resin (Component A-1)and the styrene-based resin (Component A-2-PS) or the aromatic polyesterresin (Component A-2-PE), the Component A in the present invention maycontain a flame retardant (Component A-3). As a flame retardant(Component A-3), preferred is a phosphoric ester (Component A-3-a), anorganosiloxane compound (Component A-3-b) or an alkali (alkaline earth)metal salt (Component A-3-c) for an object of the present invention. Thecontent of each of the flame retardants of the above three types in theComponent A has a preferred range. The content of the phosphoric ester(Component A-3-a) in Component A is preferably in the range of from 1 to30% by weight, particularly preferably in the range of from 5 to 20% byweight. When the flame retardant is the organosiloxane compound(Component A-3-b), the content thereof in Component A is preferably 0.01to 10% by weight, more preferably 0.1 to 5% by weight, particularlypreferably 0.5 to 3% by weight. When the flame retardant is the alkali(alkaline earth) metal salt (Component A-3-c), the content thereof inComponent A is preferably 0.0005 to 1% by weight, more preferably 0.001to 0.2% by weight, particularly preferably 0.002 to 0.1% by weight.

[0049] Examples of composition of Component A preferably include thefollowing compositions (I), (II) and (III), and particularly preferablyinclude the following compositions (I) and (II).

[0050] Preferred Composition (I) for Component A

[0051] A molded article pulverized material formed of a compositioncontaining the following components (1) to (5),

[0052] (1) 30 to 98% by weight, preferably, 40 to 90% by weight, of thearomatic polycarbonate resin (Component A-1),

[0053] (2) 1 to 65% by weight, preferably 5 to 50% by weight, of thestyrene-based resin (Component A-2-PS),

[0054] (3) (a) 1 to 30% by weight, preferably 5 to 20% by weight, of thephosphoric ester (Component A-3-a). (b) 0.01 to 10% by weight,preferably 0.1 to 5% by weight, of the organosiloxane compound(Component A-3-b), or (c) 0.0005 to 1% by weight, preferably 0.001 to0.2% by weight, of the alkali (alkaline earth) metal salt (ComponentA-3-c),

[0055] (4) 0 to 20% by weight, preferably 0.5 to 20% by weight, morepreferably 1 to 15% by weight, of the impact modifier (component A-4),

[0056] (5) 0 to 60% by weight, preferably 1 to 60% by weight, morepreferably 2 to 50% by weight, of the reinforcing filler (ComponentA-5).

[0057] Preferred Composition (II) for Component A

[0058] A molded article pulverized material formed of a compositioncontaining the following components (1) to (5),

[0059] (1) 30 to 98% by weight, preferably, 40 to 90% by weight, of thearomatic polycarbonate resin (Component A-1),

[0060] (2) 1 to 65% by weight, preferably 5 to 50% by weight, of thearomatic polyester resin (Component A-2-PE),

[0061] (3) (a) 1 to 30% by weight, preferably 5 to 20% by weight, of thephosphoric ester (Component A-3-a), (b) 0.01 to 10% by weight,preferably 0.1 to 5% by weight, of the organosiloxane compound(Component A-3-b), or (c) 0.0005 to 1% by weight, preferably 0.001 to0.2% by weight, of the alkali (alkaline earth) metal salt (ComponentA-3-c),

[0062] (4) 0 to 20% by weight, preferably 0.5 to 20% by weight, morepreferably 1 to 15% by weight, of the impact modifier (component A-4),and

[0063] (5) 0 to 60% by weight, preferably 1 to 60% by weight, morepreferably 2 to 50% by weight, of the reinforcing filler (ComponentA-5).

[0064] Preferred Composition (III) for Component A

[0065] A molded article pulverized material formed of a compositioncontaining the following components (1) to (4),

[0066] (1) 50 to 98% by weight, preferably, 55 to 98% by weight, of thearomatic polycarbonate resin (Component A-1),

[0067] (2) (a) 1 to 30% by weight, preferably 5 to 20% by weight, of thephosphoric ester (Component A-3-a), (b) 0.01 to 10% by weight,preferably 0.1 to 5% by weight, of the organosiloxane compound(Component A-3-b), or (c) 0.0005 to 1% by weight, preferably 0.001 to0.2% by weight, of the alkali (alkaline earth) metal salt (ComponentA-3-c),

[0068] (3) 0 to 20% by weight, preferably 0.5 to 20% by weight, morepreferably 1 to 15% by weight, of the impact modifier (component A-4),and

[0069] (4) 0 to 30% by weight, preferably 1 to 30% by weight, morepreferably 2 to 25% by weight, of the reinforcing filler (ComponentA-5).

[0070] The aromatic polycarbonate resin as Component B in the presentinvention will be explained below. Component B in the present inventionis a resin obtained by polymerization and is in the state of a powder orpellets obtained by granulation, and it refers to a so-called virginaromatic polycarbonate resin that is not yet formed into a moldedarticle. Component B is therefore clearly distinguished from thatComponent A in the present invention which is once used on a market andcollected as a molded article.

[0071] In the present invention, when the regenerated resin composition(Component C) is prepared, Component A and Component B can be mixed inthe above amount ratio. Further, other additives different fromComponent B can be incorporated. Examples of the above “other” additivesinclude other thermoplastic resin, a flame retardant, a drippingpreventing agent, a reinforcing filler, an impact modifier, a lubricant,a stabilizer, a colorant, an ultraviolet absorbent, an antioxidant, amold release agent, an antimicrobial, an anti-mold agent and anantistatic agent. These may be incorporated as required depending uponproperties of a regenerated resin composition as an end product.

[0072] The present invention uses Component A that satisfies thespecific conditions and aims preferably at providing a regenerated resincomposition that can be used in the field where a molded article forComponent A prior to pulverization is used. Therefore, the regeneratedresin composition (Component C) of the present invention preferably hasa composition similar to the composition of Component A. Morepreferably, the amount ratio of each of the aromatic polycarbonateresin, the styrene-based resin, the aromatic polyester resin and theflame retardant in Component C is preferably in the range of from 0.7 to1.5 times the content of each in Component A, more preferably in therange of from 0.75 to 1.45 times, still more preferably 0.8 to 1.35times. It is preferred to incorporate the above Component B and virginadditives other than Component B such that the above amount ratio can beattained.

[0073] According to studies made by the present inventor, preferably, ithas been found that it is proper to mix Component A and Component B inthe above amount ratio to obtain a regenerated resin composition(Component C) of the present invention having the following composition(I), (II) or (III) as an end product, and that a molded articleexcellent in a long-term stability of physical properties and mechanicalstrength can be obtained. The regenerated resin composition particularlypreferably has the following composition (I) and (II).

[0074] Preferred Regenerated Resin Composition (I)

[0075] (1) 30 to 96% by weight, preferably 35 to 90% by weight, morepreferably 45 to 90% by weight, still more preferably 55 to 90% byweight, of an aromatic polycarbonate resin (Component C-1),

[0076] (2) 3 to 40% by weight, preferably 5 to 35% by weight, morepreferably 5 to 30% by weight, of a styrene-based resin (ComponentC-2-PS), and

[0077] (3) 0.01 to 30% by weight, preferably 0.01 to 20% by weight of aflame retardant (Component C-3).

[0078] Further, desirably, the above regenerated resin composition (I)contains 0.5 to 20% by weight, preferably 1 to 15% by weight, of animpact modifier (Component C-4). Further, the above regenerated resincomposition (I) may contain 1 to 60% by weight, preferably 2 to 50% byweight, particularly preferably 3 to 45% by weight, of a reinforcingfiller (Component C-5). Properly, the flame retardant (Component C-3) inthe above regenerated resin composition (I) is a phosphoric ester(Component C-3-a), and advantageously, the content thereof is 1 to 30%by weight, preferably 2 to 20% by weight, more preferably 5 to 20% byweight, still more preferably 5 to 15% by weight.

[0079] Preferred Regenerated Resin Composition (II)

[0080] (1) 30 to 96% by weight, preferably 35 to 90% by weight, morepreferably 45 to 90% by weight, still more preferably 35 to 90% byweight, of an aromatic polycarbonate resin (Component C-1),

[0081] (2) 3 to 40% by weight, preferably 5 to 35% by weight, morepreferably 5 to 30% by weight of an aromatic polyester resin (ComponentC-2-PE), and

[0082] (3) 0.01 to 30% by weight, preferably 0.01 to 20% by weight of aflame retardant (Component C-3).

[0083] Further, desirably, the above regenerated resin composition (II)contains 0.5 to 20% by weight, preferably 1 to 15% by weight, of animpact modifier (Component C-4). Further, the above regenerated resincomposition (II) may contain 1 to 60% by weight, preferably 2 to 50% byweight, particularly preferably 3 to 45% by weight, of a reinforcingfiller (Component C-5).

[0084] Properly, the flame retardant (Component C-3) in the aboveregenerated resin composition (II) is a phosphoric ester (ComponentC-3-a), and advantageously, the content thereof is 1 to 30% by weight,preferably 2 to 20% by weight, more preferably 5 to 20% by weight, stillmore preferably 5 to 15% by weight.

[0085] Preferred Regenerated Resin Composition (III)

[0086] (1) 50 to 98% by weight, preferably 55 to 98% by weight, of anaromatic polycarbonate resin (Component C-1),

[0087] (2) 0.01 to 30% by weight, preferably 0.01 to 20% by weight of aflame retardant (Component C-3), and

[0088] (3) 0 to 20% by weight, preferably 1 to 15% by weight, of animpact modifier (Component C-4).

[0089] The above regenerated resin composition (III) may contain 1 to30% by weight, preferably 2 to 25% by weight, of a reinforcing filler(Component C-5).

[0090] Properly, the flame retardant (Component C-3) in the aboveregenerated resin composition (III) is a phosphoric ester (ComponentC-3-a), and advantageously, the content thereof is 1 to 30% by weight,preferably 2 to 20% by weight, more preferably 5 to 20% by weight, stillmore preferably 5 to 15% by weight.

[0091] The above regenerated resin compositions (I), (II) and (III)according to the present invention are preferred compositions, andmolded articles formed from these compositions have excellent physicalproperties. That is, molded articles formed from the above compositionshave a wet heat retention ratio of at least 60% and at least 70% undersuitable conditions, and they satisfy V-0 under suitable conditions whentested for flame retardancy according UL94. Further, the molded articlesexhibit an impact value retention ratio of at least 60%, or at least 70%under suitable conditions.

[0092] With regard to Component A, Component B and Component C in thepresent invention, the resin, flame retardant, impact modifier,inorganic filler and other additives will be explained below.

[0093] The aromatic polycarbonate resin (Component A-1, Component B andComponent C-1) includes, for example, a resin obtained from a dihydricphenol and a carbonate precursor by an interfacial polycondensationmethod or a melting ester interchange method, a resin obtained bypolymerizing a carbonate prepolymer according to a solid-phase esterinterchange method and a resin obtained from a cyclic carbonate compoundby a ring-opening polymerization method.

[0094] Typical examples of the dihydric phenol used in this case includehydroquinone, resorcinol, 4,4′-dihydroxydiphenyl,bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)methane, bis{(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethyl)phenyl}methane,1,1-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane, 1,1-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-phenylethane,2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane (generally called “bisphenol A”),2,2-bis{(4-hydroxy-3-methyl)phenyl}propane,2,2-bis{(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethyl)phenyl}propane,2,2-bis{(4-hydroxy-3,5-dibromo)phenyl}propane,2,2-bis{(3-isopropyl-4-hydroxy)phenyl}propane,2,2-bis{(4-hydroxy-3-phenyl)phenyl}propane,2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)butane, 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-methylbutane,2,2-bis(4-hdyroxyphenyl)-3,3-dimethylbutane,2,4-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-methylbutane,2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)pentane,2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4-methylpentane,1,1-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexane,1,1-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4-isopropylcyclohexane,1,1-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane,9,9-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)fluorene,9,9-bis{(4-hydroxy-3-methyl)phenyl}fluorene,α,α′-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-o-diisopropylbenzene,α,α′-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-m-diisopropylbenzene,α,α′-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-p-diisopropylbenzene,1,3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-5,7-dimethyladamantane,4,4′-dihydroxydiphenylsulfone, 4,4′-dihydroxydiphenyl sulfoxide,4,4′-dihydroxydiphenyl sulfide, 4,4′-dihydroxydiphenyl ketone,4,4′-dihydroxydiphenyl ether and 4,4′-dihydroxydiphenyl ester. These maybe used alone or as a mixture of at least two compounds thereof.

[0095] Of these, preferred is a homopolymer or a copolymer obtained fromat least one bisphenol selected from the group consisting of bisphenolA, 2,2-bis{(4-hydroxy-3-methyl)phenyl}propane,2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)butane, 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-methylbutane,2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3,3-dimethylbutane,2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4-methylpentane,1,1-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane andα,α′-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-m-diisopropylbenzene. Particularly, ahomopolymer of bisphenol A and a copolymer from1,1-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane and bisphenol A,2,2-bis{(4-hydroxy-3-methyl)phenyl}propane orα,α′-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-m-diisopropylbenzene are preferred.

[0096] The carbonate precursor is selected from carbonyl halide,carbonate ester or haloformate, and specifically, it is selected fromphosgene, diphenylcarbonate or dihaloformate of dihydric phenol.

[0097] When the above dihydric phenol and the above carbonate precursorare reacted by an interfacial polymerization method or a melt esterinterchange method to produce an aromatic polycarbonate resin, acatalyst, a terminal capping agent, an antioxidant for the dihydricphenol, etc., may be used as required. Further, the aromaticpolycarbonate resin may be a branched polycarbonate resin obtained bycopolymerization of a trifunctional or higher aromatic compound, or itmay be a polyester carbonate resin obtained by copolyermization of anaromatic or aliphatic difunctional carboxylic acid. Further, it may be amixture containing two or more aromatic polycarbonate resins obtained.

[0098] The trifunctional or higher aromatic compound includephloroglucin, phloroglucide, trisphenols such as4,6-dimethyl-2,4,6-tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)heptene-2,2,4,6-trimethyl-2,4,6-tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)heptane,1,3,5-tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)benzene, 1,1,1-tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane,1,1,1-tris(3,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane,2,6-bis(2-hydroxy-5-methylbenzyl)-4-methylphenol and4-{4-[1,1-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]benzene}-α,α-dimethylbenzylphenol,tetra(4-hydroxyphenyl)methane, bis(2,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ketone,1,4-bis(4,4-dihydroxytriphenylmethyl)benzene, trimellitic acid,pyromellitic acid and benzophenonetetracarboxylic acid and an acidchloride of trimellitic acid, pyromellitic acid orbenzophenonetetracarboxylic acid. Of these,1,1,1-tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane and1,1,1-tris(3,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane are preferred, and1,1,1-tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane is particularly preferred.

[0099] When a polyfunctional compound that forms a branchedpolycarbonate resin is used, the content thereof based on the totalamount of the aromatic polycarbonate resin is 0.001 to 1 mol %,preferably 0.005 to 0.5 mol %, particularly preferably 0.01 to 0.3 mol%. In a melt ester interchange method in particular, a branchedstructure sometimes occurs due to a side reaction, and the content ofsuch a branched structure based on the total amount of the aromaticpolycarbonate resin is also 0.001 to 1 mol %, preferably 0.005 to 0.5mol %, particularly preferably 0.01 to 0.3 mol %. The above contents canbe calculated on the basis of ¹H-NMR measurement.

[0100] In the interfacial polycondensation method, generally, a dihydricphenol and phosgene are reacted, and the reaction is carried out in thepresence of an acid binder and an organic solvent. The acid binder isselected, for example, from alkali metal hydroxide such as sodiumhydroxide or potassium hydroxide, or an amine compound such as pyridine.The organic solvent is selected, for example, from hydrocarbon halidessuch as methylene chloride and chlorobenzene. For promoting thereaction, a catalyst may be used, and it is selected, for example, froma tertiary amine, a quaternary ammonium compound and a quaternaryphosphonium compound typified by triethylamine, tetra-n-butylammoniumbromide or tetra-n-butylphosphonium bromide. In this case, preferably,the reaction temperature is generally 0 to 40° C., the reaction timeperiod is approximately 10 minutes to 5 hours, and the pH during thereaction is maintained at 9 or higher.

[0101] In the above polymerization, generally, a terminal capping agentis used. The terminal capping agent can be selected from monofunctionalphenols. The monofunctional phenols are generally used as a terminalcapping agent for adjusting a molecular weight, and commonly includephenol and lower-alkyl-substituted phenols, such as monofunctionalphenols of the following general formula (I).

[0102] wherein A is a hydrogen atom or a linear or branched alkyl groupor phenyl group-substituted alkyl group having 1 to 9 carbon atoms, andr is an integer of 1 to 5, preferably 1 to 3.

[0103] Specific examples of the above monofunctional phenols includephenol, p-tert-butylphenol, p-cumylphenol and isooctylphenol.

[0104] Other monofunctional phenols include phenols or benzoic acidchlorides having a long-chain alkyl group or an aliphatic polyestergroup as a substituent, or long-chain alkylcarboxylic acid chlorides. Ofthese, phenols having a long-chain alkyl group as a substituent,represented by the following general formulae (2) and (3), arepreferably used.

[0105] wherein X is —R—CO—O— or —R—O—CO— in which R is a single bond ora divalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms,preferably 1 to 5, and n is an integer of 10 to 50.

[0106] In the above substituted phenols of the general formula (2), n ispreferably 10 to 30, particularly preferably 10 to 26. Specific examplesthereof include decylphenol, dodecylphenol, tetradecylphenol,hexadecylphenol, octadecylphenol, eicosylphenol, docosylphenol andtriacontylphenol.

[0107] In the substituted phenols of the general formula (3), properly,X is —R—CO—O— and R is a single bond is proper, and n is preferably 10to 30, particularly preferably 10 to 26. Specific examples thereofinclude decyl hydroxybenzoate, dodecyl hydroxybenzoate, tetradecylhydroxybenzoate, hexadecyl hydroxybenzoate, eicosyl hydroxybenzoate,docosyl hydroxybenzoate and triacontyl hydroxybenzoate. The aboveterminal capping agent may be used alone or in combination.

[0108] The reaction in the melt ester interchange method is generally areaction of ester interchange between a dihydric phenol and carbonateester, and the reaction is carried out by mixing the dihydric phenol andthe carbonate ester under heat in the presence of an inert gas anddistilling off an alcohol or phenol that is formed. Although differingdepending upon a boiling point of the alcohol or phenol that is formed,the reaction temperature is generally in the range of from 120 to 350°C. In a later stage of the reaction, the reaction system ispressure-reduced to approximately 1.33×10³ to 13.3 Pa, to easedistilling off the alcohol or phenol. The reaction time period isgenerally approximately 1 to 4 hours.

[0109] The carbonate ester includes esters of an optionally substitutedaryl group or aralkyl group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, or an alkylgroup having 1 to 4 carbon atoms. Specific examples thereof includediphenyl carbonate, bis(chlorophenyl)carbonate, dinaphthyl carbonate,bis(diphenyl)carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate anddibutyl carbonate, and of these, diphenyl carbonate is preferred.

[0110] For increasing the polymerization rate, a polymerization catalystmay be used. For example, the polymerization catalyst can be selectedfrom catalysts that are generally used for esterification or esterinterchange, such as alkali metal compounds such as sodium hydroxide,potassium hydroxide and sodium salt or potassium salt of dihydricphenol, alkaline earth metal compounds such as calcium hydroxide, bariumhydroxide and magnesium hydroxide, nitrogen-containing basic compoundssuch as tetramethylammonium hydroxide, tetraethylammonium hydroxide,trimethylamine and triethylamine, alkoxides of alkali metals or alkalineearth metals, organic acid salts of alkali metals or alkaline earthmetals, zinc compounds, boron compounds, aluminum compounds, siliconcompounds, germanium compounds, organotin compounds, lead compounds,osmium compounds, antimony compounds, manganese compounds, titaniumcompounds and zirconium compounds. These catalysts may be used alone orin combination. The amount of the above polymerization catalyst per moleof the dihydric phenol as a raw material is preferably in the range offrom 1×10⁻⁸ to 1×10⁻³ equivalent, preferably, from 1×10⁻⁷ to 5×10⁻⁴equivalent.

[0111] In the above polymerization, for decreasing a phenolic terminalgroup, for example, a compound such as bis(chlorophenyl)carbonate,bis(bromophenyl)carbonate, bis(nitrophenyl)carbonate,bis(phenylphenyl)carbonate, chlorophenylphenyl carbonate,bromophenylphenyl carbonate, nitrophenylphenyl carbonate, phenylphenylcarbonate, methoxycarbonylphenylphenyl carbonate orethoxycarbonylphenylphenyl carbonate may be added in a later stage ofthe polymerization or after the polymerization. Of these,2-chlorophenylphenyl carbonate, 2-methoxycarbonylphenylphenyl carbonateand 2-ethoxycarbonylphenylphenyl carbonate are preferred, and2-methoxycarbonylphenylphenyl carbonate is particularly preferred.

[0112] In the above polymerization, further, it is preferred to use adeactivator for neutralizing the activity of the catalyst. Specificexamples of the deactivator include benzenesulfonic acid,p-toluenesulfonic acid, sulfonates such as methyl benzenesulfonate,ethyl benzenesulfonate, butyl benzenesulfonate, octyl benzenesulfonate,phenyl benzenesulfonate, methyl p-toluenesulfonate, ethylp-toluenesulfonate, butyl p-toluenesulfonate, octyl p-toluenesulfonateand phenyl p-toluenesulfonate; and compounds such astrifluoromethanesulfonic acid, naphthalenesulfonic acid, sulfonatedpolystyrene, a methyl acrylate-sulfonated styrene copolymer,2-phenyl-2-propyl dodecylbenzenesulfonate, 2-phenyl-2-butyldodecylbenzenesulfonate, octylsulfonic acid tetrabutyl phosphonium salt,decylsulfonic acid tetrabutylphosphonium salt, benzenesulfonic acidtetrabutylphosphonium salt, dodecylbenzenesulfonic acidtetraethylphosphonium salt, dodecylbenzenesulfonic acidtetrabutylphosphonium salt, dodecylbenzenesulfonic acidtetrahexylphosphonium salt, dodecylbenzenesulfonic acidtetraoctylphosphonium salt, decylammonium butyl sulfate, decylammoniumdecyl sulfate, dodecylammonium methyl sulfate, dodecylammonium ethylsulfate, dodecylmethylammonium methyl sulfate, dodecyldimethylammoniumtetradecyl sulfate, tetradecyldimethylammonium methyl sulfate,tetramethylammonium hexyl sulfate, decyltrimethylammonium hexadecylsulfate, tetrabutylammonium dodecylbenzylsulfate, tetraethylammoniumdodecylbenzylsulfate and tetramethylammonium dodecylbenzylsulfate,although the deactivator shall not be limited thereto. These compoundsmay be used in combination of at least two compounds of them.

[0113] Of the above deactivators, phosphonium salt or ammonium salt typedeactivators are preferred. The amount per mole of the residual catalystis preferably 0.5 to 50 mol, and the amount based on a polycarbonateresin to be produced by polymerization is 0.01 to 500 ppm, morepreferably 0.01 to 300 ppm, particularly preferably 0.01 to 100 ppm.

[0114] The molecular weight of the aromatic polycarbonate resin is notcritical. In the aromatic polycarbonate resin for use as Component B,when the molecular weight is less than 14,000, the impact resistance,etc., are low, and when it exceeds 40,000, the moldability is low.Therefore, an aromatic polycarbonate resin having a viscosity averagemolecular weight of 14,000 to 40,000 is preferred, and an aromaticpolycarbonate resin having a viscosity average molecular weight of17,000 to 35,000 is particularly preferred. At least two aromaticpolycarbonate resins having different molecular weights may be mixed.

[0115] The term “viscosity average molecular weight” used in the presentinvention is a viscosity average molecular weight M obtained bymeasuring a solution of 0.7 g of an aromatic polycarbonate resin at 20°C. in 100 ml of methylene chloride with an Ostwald viscometer todetermine a specific viscosity (η_(SP)) and substituting theabove-determined specific viscosity (η_(SP)) in the following equation.

η_(SP) /c=[η]+0.45×[η]² c

[η]=1.23×10⁻⁴ M ^(0.83)

c=0.7

[0116] While Components A and C in the present invention are required tocontain the aromatic polycarbonate resin in the already described amountranges, they may contain other thermoplastic resin. Although notspecially limited, examples of the “other” thermoplastic resin includearomatic polyester resins such as a polyethylene terephthalate resin anda polybutylene terephthalate resin; and styrene-based resins such aspolystyrene, an AS resin, an ABS resin, an ASA resin and an AES resin.In addition to these, examples thereof include a polyamide resin, anacrylic resin, polyolefin resins such as a polyethylene resin and apolypropylene resin. Further, examples thereof include engineeringplastics such as polyphenylene ether and polyacetal and so-called superengineering plastics such as polyether ether ketone, polyetherimide,polyetheramide, polysulfone, polyethersulfone and polyether sulfide.

[0117] Of the above “other” thermoplastic resins, a styrene-based resin(Component A-2-PS or C-2-PS) and an aromatic polyester resin (ComponentA-2-PE or C-2-PE) are particularly preferred. As the aromatic polyesterresin, a polyethylene terephthalate resin or a polybutyleneterephthalate resin is preferred. Further, the styrene-based resin isparticularly preferably as the “other” thermoplastic resin in thepresent invention, and specific compounds thereof will be explainedbelow.

[0118] The styrene-based resin (Component A-2-PS or C-2-PS) in thepresent invention includes a homopolymer or copolymer of styrene or astyrene derivative such as α-ethylstyrene or p-methylstyrene and acopolymer of such a monomer and a vinyl monomer such as acrylonitrile ormethyl methacrylate. Further, the above styrene-based resin includesgraft polymers obtained by graft-polymerization of diene-based rubberssuch as polybutadiene, an ethylene-propylene based rubber, an acrylicbased rubber, or a composite rubber (IPN rubber) having a structureformed of a polyorganosiloxane rubber component and a polyalkyl(meth)acrylate rubber component that are intricately entangled with eachother with styrene and/or a styrene derivative or with styrene and/or astyrene derivative and other vinyl monomer.

[0119] Specific examples of the above styrene-based resin includepolystyrene, a styrene-butadiene-styrene copolymer (SBS), a hydrogenatedstyrene-butadiene-styrene copolymer (hydrogenated SBS), a hydrogenatedstyrene-isoprene-styrene copolymer (hydrogenated SIS), high-impactpolystyrene (HIPS), an acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer (AS resin), anacrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS resin), a methylmethacrylate-butadiene-styrene copolymer (MBS resin), a methylmethacrylate-acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (MABS resin), anacrylonitrile-acrylic rubber-styrene copolymer (AAS resin), anacrylonitrile-ethylenepropylene-based rubber-styrene copolymer (AESresin) and a styrene-IPN rubber copolymer, and mixtures of these arealso included.

[0120] The above styrene-based resin may have high stereoregularity likesyndiotactic polystyrene formed on the basis of catalytic activity of ametallocene catalyst during its production. Further, it may be a polymeror copolymer having a narrow molecular weight distribution, a blockcopolymer or a polymer or copolymer having high stereoregularity,obtained by methods such as an anion living polymerization or radicalliving polymerization. Further, there may be used a copolymer formed bycopolymerizing the above styrene-based resin with a compound having afunctional group such as maleic acid anhydride or N-substitutedmaleimide for improving the styrene-based resin in compatibility withthe polycarbonate resin.

[0121] Of these, an acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer (AS resin) and anacrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS resin) are preferred.Further, the styrene-based resins may be used in combination of at leasttwo of them.

[0122] The above AS resin is a thermoplastic copolymer obtained from avinyl cyanide compound and an aromatic vinyl compound bycopolymerization. As the above vinyl cyanaide compound, acrylonitrile isparticularly preferred. The aromatic vinyl compound can be selected fromthose described above, and styrene and α-methylstyrene are preferred.Concerning the content of each component in the AS resin when the entireweight of the AS resin is 100% by weight, the content of the vinylcyanide compound is 5 to 50% by weight, preferably 15 to 35% by weight,and the content of the aromatic vinyl compound is 95 to 50% by weight,preferably 85 to 65% by weight. The other copolymerizable vinyl compounddescribed above may be copolymerized with the above vinyl compounds. Thecontent thereof is preferably 15% by weight or less based on the ASresin components. Further, a variety of initiators, chain transferagents, etc., that are known can be used for the above reaction.

[0123] While the above AS resin may be a resin that is produced by anyone of a bulk polymerization method, a suspension polymerization methodand an emulsion polymerization method, an AS resin produced by bulkpolymerization is preferred. The copolymerization method may employ anyone of employ one-step copolymerization and multi-step copolymerization.The above AS resin has a reduced viscosity of 0.2 to 1.0 dl/g,preferably 0.3 to 0.5 dl/g. The reduced viscosity is a value obtained byexactly weighing 0.25 g of an AS resin, dissolving the AS resin in 50 mlof dimethylformamide over 2 hours and measuring the solution at 30° C.with a Ubbellohde's viscometer. A viscometer having a dropping timeperiod of 20 to 100 seconds is used. The reduced viscosity is determinedon the basis of the following equation using a time period (t₀) thatdropping of the solvent takes by the second and a time period (t) thatdropping of the solution takes by the second.

Reduced viscosity (η_(SP) /C)={(t/t ₀)−1}/0.5

[0124] When the AS resin as a virgin resin is incorporated into a resincomposition to be regenerated, it is preferred to use an AS resin thathas, per 100% by weight of the entire AS resin, an acrylonitrile contentof 15 to 35% by weight and a styrene content of 85 to 65% by weight, isproduced by bulk polymerization and has a reduced viscosity of 0.3 to0.5 dl/g.

[0125] The ABS resin refers to a mixture containing a thermoplasticgraft copolymer obtained by graft polymerization of a vinyl cyanidecompound and an aromatic vinyl compound with a diene-based rubbercomponent and a copolymer from a vinyl cyanide compound and an aromaticvinyl compound. The diene-based rubber component for forming the aboveABS resin is selected from rubbers having a glass transition temperatureof −10° C. or lower, such as polybutadiene, polyisoprene and astyrene-butadiene copolymer. The content thereof per 100% by weight ofthe ABS resin components is preferably 5 to 80% by weight, morepreferably 8 to 50% by weight, particularly preferably 10 to 30% byweight.

[0126] As a vinyl cyanide compound to be grafted on the diene-basedrubber component, acrylonitrile is particularly preferred. While thearomatic vinyl compound to be grafted on the diene-based rubbercomponent is similarly selected from those described above, styrene anda-methylstyrene are particularly preferred. The content of the abovecomponent to be grafted on the diene-based rubber component, per 100%by-weight of the ABS resin components, is preferably 95 to 20% byweight, particularly preferably 50 to 90% by weight. Further, per 100%by weight of the total amount of the vinyl cyanide compound and thearomatic vinyl compound, preferably, the content of the vinyl cyanidecompound is 5 to 50% by weight, and the content of the aromatic vinylcompound is 95 to 50% by weight. As part of the above component to begrafted on the diene-based rubber component, methyl (meth)acrylate,ethyl acrylate, maleic acid anhydride, N-substituted maleimide or thelike may be used. The content thereof based on the ABS resin componentsis preferably 15% by weight or less. A variety of known initiators,chain transfer agents, emulsifier, etc., may be used as required for thereaction.

[0127] In the above ABS resin, the diameter of rubber particles ispreferably 0.1 to 5.0 μm, more preferably 0.2 to 3.0 μm. particularlypreferably 0.3 to 1.5 μm. Rubber particles having a single particledistribution can be used, and rubber particles having a particledistribution with two or more peaks can be also used. In morphology,further, the rubber particles may have a single phase, and the rubberparticles may have a salami structure in which an occluded phase iscontained around each rubber particle.

[0128] Further, it is well known that an ABS resin contains a vinylcyanide compound and an aromatic vinyl compound that are not grafted ona diene-based rubber component, and the ABS resin may contain such freepolymer components that occur during polymerization. The such freecopolymer comprising a vinyl cyanide compound and aromatic vinylcompound has a reduced viscosity, as a reduced viscosity (30° C.)measured by the above-described method, of 0.2 to 1.0 dl/g, morepreferably 0.3 to 0.7 dl/g.

[0129] The content of the vinyl cyanide compound and the aromatic vinylcompound that are grafted, based on the diene-based rubber component, ispreferably 20 to 200%, more preferably 20 to 70% when expressed as agraft ratio (weight %).

[0130] While the above ABS resin may be produced by any one of bulkpolymerization, suspension polymerization and emulsion polymerizationmethods, an ABS resin produced by bulk polymerization is particularlypreferred. Further, the copolymerization may be carried out at one stepor at multi-steps. Further, there may be used a blend of the ABS resinobtained by the above method and a vinyl compound polymer obtained byseparate polymerization of an aromatic vinyl compound and a vinylcyanide component.

[0131] When the ABS resin as a virgin resin is incorporated into a resincomposition to be regenerated, it is preferred to use an ABS resin thathas a diene-based-rubber-component content, per 100% by weight of theentire ABS resin, of 10 to 30% by weight, has, per 100% by weight ofcomponents other than the diene-based rubber component, an acrylonitrilecontent of 15 to 35% by weight and a styrene content of 85 to 65% byweight, is produced by bulk polymerization and has a reduced viscosityof 0.3 to 0.7 dl/g.

[0132] In the present invention, the flame retardant (Component A-3 orC-3) includes phosphoric ester, alkali (alkaline earth) metal salt of aninorganic acid, alkali (alkaline earth) metal salt of an organic acid,an organohalogen compound, red phosphorus, an organosiloxane compound,an inorganic phosphoric acid salt and a hydrate of an inorganic metalcompound. Of these, phosphoric ester, alkali (alkaline earth) metal saltor an organosiloxane compound is preferred.

[0133] The phosphoric ester includes one or at least two phosphoricesters of the following general formula (4).

[0134] wherein Y is a divalent group derived from hydroquinone,resorcinol, bis(4-hydroxydiphenyl)methane, bisphenol A,dthydroxydiphenyl, dihydroxynaphthalene, bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)sulfone,bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)ketone or bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)sulfide, each of j, k,l and m is independently 0 or 1, n is an integer of 0 to 5, providedthat n is an average of 0 to 5 in the case of a mixture of n differentphosphoric esters, and each of R¹, R², R³ and R⁴ is independently amonovalent group derived from phenol, cresol, xylenol, isopropylphenol,butylphenol or p-cumylphenol on which at least one halogen atom isoptionally substituted.

[0135] Of these, preferably, in the above formula, Y is a group derivedfrom hydroquinone, resorcinol or bisphenol A, each of j, k, l and m is1, n is an integer of 0 to 3, provided that n is an average of 0 to 3 inthe case of a mixture of n different phosphoric esters, and each of R¹,R², R³ and R⁴ is independently a group derived from phenol, cresol orxylenol on which at least one halogen atom is optionally substituted.

[0136] Further, particularly preferably, Y is a group derived fromresorcinol or bisphenol A, each of j, k, l and m is 1, n is 0 or 1, andeach of R¹, R², R³ and R⁴ is independently a group derived from phenolor xylenol. Of these organic phosphoric ester flame retardants,triphenyl phosphate as a monophosphate compound and resorcinolbis(dixylenylphosphate) and bisphenol A bis(diphenylphosphate) as aphosphoric acid oligomer are excellent in flame retardancy andflowability during molding and they are excellent in hydrolyzability andundergoes little or no decomposition for a long period of time. Forthese reasons, they are particularly preferably used as a virginmaterial that is to be incorporated into a molded article pulverizedmaterial as Component A.

[0137] In the alkaline (alkaline earth) metal salt of an inorganic acidas a flame retardant, the alkali metal includes lithium, sodium,potassium and cesium, and the alkaline earth metal includes calcium,magnesium and barium. The inorganic acid includes H₃AlF₆, H₃BF₆, H₃SbF₆,H₂TiF₆, H₂SiF₆, H₃PO, H₂ZrF₆, H₂WF₆ and HBF₄. As an inorganic alkalimetal salt or inorganic alkaline earth metal salt, Na₃AlF₆ andCa₃(AlF₆)₂ are preferred.

[0138] In the alkaline (alkaline earth) metal salt of an organic acid asa flame retardant, the alkali metal includes lithium, sodium, potassiumand cesium, and the alkaline earth metal includes calcium, magnesium andbarium.

[0139] The organic acid includes aliphatic sulfonic acids, aliphaticsulfonic esters, aromatic sulfonic acids, aromatic sulfone amides,aromatic carboxylic acids and aliphatic carboxylic acids. Specificexamples thereof include methylsulfonic acid, laurylsulfuric ester,hexadecylsulfuric ester, polyoxyethylene alkyl ether sulfuric ester,polyoxyethylene alkylphenyl ether sulfuric ester, mono- or disulfuricesters of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol and butanediol, mono-, di-,tri- or tetrasulfuric ester of pentaerythritol, stearic acidmonoglyceride monosulfuric ester, 1,3-bis(2-ethylhexyl)glycerin ethermonosulfuric ester, trifluoromethanesulfonic acid,perfluoroethanesulfonic acid, perfluoropropanesulfonic acid,perfluorobutanesulfonic acid, perfluromethylbutanesulfonic acid,perfluorohexanesulfonic acid, perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid,perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, dodecansulfonic acid, benzenesulfonicacid, 2,5-dichlorobenzenesulfonic acid, 2,4,6-trichlorobenzenesulfonicacid, 2,4,5-trichlorobenzenesulfonic acid, diphenylsulfone-3-sulfonicacid, diphenylsulfone-3,3′-disulfonic acid, naphthalenetrisulfonic acid,β-naphthalenesulfonic acid-formalin condensate,N-(p-tolylsulfonyl)-p-toluenesulfoimide,N-(N′-benzylaminocarbonyl)sulfanylimide,N-(phenylcarboxyl)sulfanilamide, caprylic acid, lauric acid, benzoicacid, naphtholcarboxylic acid and 2,4,6-tribromobenzoic acid. As anorganic alkali metal salt or organic alkaline earth metal salt,preferred are potassium perfluorobutansulfonate, calciumperfluorobutanesulfonate, cesium perfluorobutanesulfonate, potassiumdiphenylsulfone-3-sulfonate, potassium diphenylsulfone-3,3′-disulfonate,a sodium β-naphthalenesulfonate-formalin condensate and potassiumN-(p-tolylsulfonyl)-p-toluenesulfoimide

[0140] Examples of the organohalogen compound as a flame retardantinclude carbonate oligomer of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBA),decabromodiphenyl ether, octabromodiphenyl ether, tetrabromodiphenylether, hexabromocyclodecane, ethylenebistetrabromophthalimide,tris(pentabromobenzyl)isocyanurate, brominated polystyrene, a TBA epoxyresin and a TBA epoxy resin terminated with tetrabromophenol.

[0141] Of these, a carbonate oligomer of tetrabromobisphenol A hasexcellent flame retardancy, generates little or no harmful substance,has excellent compatibility with an aromatic polycarbonate resin,attains excellent flame retardancy without decreasing the mechanicalproperties typified by impact resistance and causes little or nodecrease in mechanical properties for a long period of time. For thesereasons, it is particularly preferred as an organohalogen compound thatis to be incorporated, as a virgin material, into Component A.

[0142] The red phosphorus as a flame retardant not only includes generalred phosphorus but also includes red phosphorus that issurface-microcupsulated with a thermosetting resin and/or an inorganicmaterial. Further, when red phosphorus as a virgin material isincorporated into Component A, it is preferred to use red phosphorus inthe form master pellet for ligher safty and workability. The redphosphorus has an average particle diameter of 1 to 100 μm, preferably 1to 40 μm. Commercially available products that are microcapsulated redphosphorus include Novaexcel 140, Novaexcel F-5 (trade name, supplied byRinkagaku Kogyo Co., Ltd.), Hishiguard TP-10 (trade name: NipponChemical Industrial Co., Ltd.) and Hostaflam RP614 (trade name: ClariantJapan K.K.).

[0143] The organosiloxane compound as a flame retardant includescompounds having a basic structure of the following general formula (5).

(R⁵ ₃SiO_(0.5))_(a)(R⁶₂SiO)_(b)(R⁷SiO_(1.5))_(C)(SiO₂)_(d)(O_(0.5)R⁸)_(e)  (5)

[0144] In the general formula (5), each of R⁵, R⁶ and R7 is ahydrocarbon group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, such as an alkyl grouphaving 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group having 2 to 12 carbonatoms, an aryl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms and an arylalkyl grouphaving 7 to 12 carbon atoms. The substituents for R⁵ and R⁶ may be thesame as, or different from, each other. R⁸ is an alkyl group having 1 to4 carbon atoms.

[0145] Specific examples of the above alkyl group include methyl, ethyl,n-propyl, isopropyl, various butyls, various hexyls and cyclohexyl.Specific examples of the alkenyl group include vinyl, allyl andcyclohexenyl. Specific examples of the aryl group include phenyl,naphthyl and tolyl. Specific examples of the arylalkyl group includebenzyl, β-phenetyl and 2-phenylpropyl. Of these, phenyl, vinyl andmethyl cause to the organosiloxane compound to exhibit more effectiveflame retardancy, and such an organosiloxane compound can be usedpreferably, and an organosiloxane compound containing phenyls isparticularly preferred. The content of such phenyl based on organicgroups (R⁵, R⁶, R⁷ and R⁸) in the organosiloxane is at least 15 mol %,preferably at least 20 mol %, more preferably 25 to 90 mol %,particularly preferably 25 to 70 mol %.

[0146] Further, there can be also used a compound obtained by providingthe organosiloxane compound of the above formula in which one of R⁵, R⁶and R⁷ is a phenolic-hydroxy-group-containing monovalent organic groupand copolymerizing such an organosiloxane compound together with apolycarbonate resin. Examples of the phenolic-hydroxy-group-containingmonovalent organic group include 2-(o-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl,2-(p-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl, 2-(m-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl,1-(o-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl, 1-(p-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl,1-(m-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl, 3-(o-hydroxyphenyl)propyl,3-(p-hydroxyphenyl)propyl, 3-(m-hydroxyphenyl)propyl,2-(o-hydroxyphenyl)propyl, 2-(p-hydroxyphenyl)propyl and2-(m-hydroxyphenyl)propyl.

[0147] In the general formula (5), a, b, c and d satisfy therelationship of 0≦a≦0.75, 0≦b≦1, 0≦c≦0.5, 0≦d≦0.25 and (a+b+c+d)=1.While (a+b+c+d)=1, e satisfies 0≦e≦0.7. Further, c and d can be zerotogether in no case. Further, preferably, 0.5≦b≦0.9, 0.1≦c≦0.5 and (b+c)is 0.7 or greater. Preferably, further, while (a+b+c+d)=1, 0.1≦e≦0.5

[0148] Further, the above organosiloxane compound preferably has akinematic viscosity, at 25° C., of 1 to 10,000 cSt (centistokes), morepreferably 5 to 1,000 cSt, still more preferably 5 to 300 cSt,particularly preferably 5 to 100 cSt.

[0149] Further, an inorganic phosphoric acid salt such as polyphosphoricacid ammonium salt can be used as a flame retardant, and further, theflame retardant can be also selected, for example, from inorganic metalhydroxides such as aluminum hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, dolomite,hydrotalcite, calcium hydroxide, barium hydroxide, basic magnesiumcarbonate, zirconium hydroxide and hydrate of tin oxide.

[0150] The impact modifier (Component A-4 or C-4) refers to a rubberpolymer having a glass transition temperature of 10° C. or lower,preferably −10° C. or lower, more preferably −30° C. or lower, or arubber-polymer-component-containing polymer that is formed bycopolymerization of the above rubber polymer and a componentcopolymerizable therewith and has a rubber polymer component content ofat least 40% by weight. The rubber polymer includes polybutadiene,polyisoprene, diene-based copolymers (e.g., styrene-butadiene random andblock copolymers, an acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer andacryl-butadiene rubbers (a copolymer of alkyl acrylate or alkylmethacrylate and butadiene)), ethylene-α-olefin copolymers (e.g.,ethylene-propylene random and block copolymers, and ethylene-butenerandom and block copolymers), ethylene-unsaturated carboxylic estercopolymers (e.g., an ethylene-methacrylate copolymer, an ethylene-ethylacrylate copolymer and an ethylene-butyl acrylate copolymer),ethylene-aliphatic vinyl copolymers (e.g., ethylene-vinyl acetatecopolymer), ethylene-propylene non-conjugated diene polymers (e.g., anethylene-propylene-hexadiene copolymer), acryl rubbers (e.g., polybutylacrylate, poly(2-ethylhexyl acrylate) and a butyl acrylate-2-ethylhexylacrylate copolymer), and silicone-based rubbers (e.g., apolyorganosiloxane rubber, an IPN type rubber formed of apolyorganosiloxane rubber component and an acryl rubber component; i.e.,a rubber having a structure in which two rubber components areintricately entangled with each other, and an IPN type rubber formed ofa polyorganosiloxane rubber component and a polyisobutylene rubbercomponent). As a polyorganosiloxane rubber, a polydimethylsiloxanepolymer is preferred.

[0151] The monomer component that is used for copolymerization with theabove rubber component includes an aromatic vinyl compound, a vinylcyanide compound, a (meth)acrylic ester compound and a (meth)acrylicacid compound. As other monomer component, the above component includesepoxy-group-containing methacrylic esters such as glycidyl methacrylate,maleimide monomers such as maleimide, N-methylmaleimide andN-phenylmaleimide, and α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids and anhydridesthereof, such as acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid, maleicanhydride, phthalic acid and itaconic acid.

[0152] More specifically, the impact modifier includes an SB(styrene-butadiene) polymer, an ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene)polymer, an MBS (methyl methacrylate-butadiene-styrene) polymer, an MABS(methyl methacrylate-acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) polymer, an MB(methyl methacrylate-butadiene) polymer, an ASA(acrylonitrile-styrene-acryl rubber) polymer, an AES(acrylonitrile-ethylenepropylene rubber-styrene) polymer, an MA (methylmethacrylate-acryl rubber) polymer, an MAS (methyl methacrylate-acrylrubber-styrene) polymer, a methyl methacrylate-acryl.butadiene rubbercopolymer, a methyl methacrylate-acryl-butadiene rubber-styrenecopolymer and a methyl methacrylate-(acryl-silicone IPN rubber) polymer.

[0153] As other elastic polymer, the impact modifier includes variousthermoplastic elastomers such as a styrene-based thermoplasticelastomer, an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer, a polyurethane-basedthermoplastic elastomer, a polyester-based thermoplastic elastomer and apolyamide-based thermoplastic elastomer.

[0154] The resin composition in the present invention may contain adripping preventing agent for improving flame retardancy, and thedripping preventing agent includes a fluorine-containing polymer havingfibril formability. The above polymer includes polytetrafluoroethylene,a tetrafluoroethylene-based polymer (e.g., atetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene copolymer), a partiallyfluorinated polymer disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,379,910 and apolycarbonate resin produced from fluorinated diphenol, whilepolytetrafluoroethylene is preferred.

[0155] Polytetrafluoroethylene having fibril formability is classifiedinto the type 3 in ASTM Standard. Further, the abovepolytetrafluoroethylene having fibril formability preferably has aprimary particle diameter in the range of from 0.05 to 10 μm andpreferably has a secondary particle diameter of 50 to 700 μm. The abovepolytetrafluoroethylene has the capability of preventing dripping of amelt in a combustion test of a test piece in a vertical combustion testaccording to UL standard, and such polytetrafluoroethylenes havingfibril formability are commercially and easily available in the tradename of Teflon 6J from DuPont-Mitsui Fluorochemicals Company, Ltd. or inthe trade name of Polyfureon from Daikin Industries, Ltd.

[0156] When the above polytetrafluoroethylene (to be sometimes referredto as “PTFE” hereinafter) as a virgin material is used, not only apolytetrafluoroethylene that is generally in the form of a solid can beused, but also a product in the form of an aqueous dispersion can beused. Further, for improving dispersibility in a resin and, further, forattaining excellent flame retardancy and mechanical properties, PTFEmixtures having the following forms can be used as a PTFE having fibrilformability.

[0157] As a first one, there is a co-aggregate mixture of a PTFEdispersion and a vinyl polymer. Specifically, JP-A-60-258263 describes amethod in which a dispersion of PTFE having an average particle diameterof 0.05 to 5 μm and a dispersion of a vinyl polymer are mixed, andcoagulated without a size of greater than 30 μm of PTFE particles andsuch a coagulation product is dried to obtain a PTFE mixture, and such amixture can be used.

[0158] As a second one, there is a mixture of a PTFE dispersion and drypolymer particles. The polymer particles can be selected from varioustypes, and the polymer particles are preferably particles of apolycarbonate resin powder or an ABS resin powder. Concerning the abovemixture, JP-A-4-272957 describes a mixture of a PTFE dispersion and anABS resin power, and such a method can be used.

[0159] As a third one, there is a PTFE mixture obtained by providing amixture of a PTFE dispersion and a thermoplastic resin solution andsimultaneously removing a medium of each. As a specific example, thereis a mixture obtained by removing the media with a spray dryer, andJP-A-08-188653 describes such a mixture.

[0160] As a fourth one, there is a PTFE mixture obtained by polymerizingother vinyl monomer in a PTFE dispersion. Concerning such a mixture,JP-A-9-95583 specifically describes a method in which styrene andacrylonitrile are fed into a PTFE latex, to obtain a PTFE mixture, andsuch a mixture can be used.

[0161] As a fifth one, there is a method in which a PTFE dispersion anda dispersion of polymer particles are mixed and then a vinyl monomer ispolymerized in the mixture of the dispersion. Thus-prepared PTFE mixtureis preferred in that simple production and formation of a fine PTFEdispersion can be compatibilized. JP-A-11-29679 describes details ofsuch a mixture. That is, in a dispersion of a mixture of a PTFEdispersion having a particle diameter of 0.05 to 1.0 μm and a dispersionof polymer particles, a monomer having an ethylenically unsaturated bondis emulsion-polymerized, and then the resultant mixture is coagulated orspray-dried to obtain a powder of a PTFE mixture, which is preferred.

[0162] The above “polymer particles” include polypropylene,polyethylene, polystyrene, HIPS, an AS resin, an ABS resin, an MBSresin, an MABS resin, an ASA resin, polyalkyl (meth)acrylate, a blockcopolymer formed from styrene and butadiene and a hydrogenated copolymerthereof, a block copolymer obtained from styrene and isoprene and ahydrogenated copolymer thereof, an acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer,ethylene-propylene random and block copolymers, ethylene-butene randomand block copolymers, an ethylene-α-olefin copolymer, anethylene-unasaturated carboxylic ester copolymer such as ethylene-butylacrylate, an acrylate-butadiene copolymer, a composite rubber containingpolyorganosiloxane and polyalkyl (meth)acrylate and a copolymer obtainedby grafting a vinyl monomer such as styrene, acrylonitrile or polyalkylmethacrylate to such a composite rubber. Of these, polyalkyl(meth)acrylate, polystyrene, an AS resin, an ABS resin and an ASA resinare preferred.

[0163] The monomer having an ethylenically unsaturated bond can beselected from styrene-containing monomers such as styrene,p-methylstyrene, o-methylstyrene, p-methoxystyrene, o-methoxystyrene,2,4-dimethystyrene and α-methylstyrene; acrylate monomers such as methylacrylate, methyl methacrylate, ethyl acrylate, ethyl methacrylate, butylacrylate, butyl methacrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexylmethacrylate, dodecyl acrylate, dodecyl methacrylate, cyclohexylacrylate and cyclohexyl methacrylate; vinyl cyanide monomers such asacrylonitrile and methacrylonitrile; vinyl ether monomers such as vinylmethyl ether and vinyl ethyl ether; vinyl carboxylate monomers such asvinyl acetate and vinyl butyrate; olefin monomers such as ethylene,propylene and isobutylene; and diene monomers such as butadiene,isoprene and dimethylbutadiene. These monomers may be used alone or incombination.

[0164] As a PTFE mixture having the above fourth form, “Blendex 449”(trade name) is available from GE Speciality Chemicals, and as a PTFEmixture having the above fifth form, “Metablen A3000” (trade name) isavailable from Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd. These are easily available andpreferred in the present invention.

[0165] When the dripping preventing agent as a virgin material isincorporated, the amount thereof per 100% by weight of the regeneratedresin composition of the present invention is preferably 0.05 to 1% byweight. When Component A contains the above dripping preventing agent,the intended dripping prevention is liable to be insufficient when theamount is less than 0.05% by weight, and the amount of 1% by weight asan upper limit is sufficient for the object thereof.

[0166] The reinforcing filler (Component A-5 or C-5) includes talc,mica, clay, wollastonite, montmorillonite, smectite, kaolin, calciumcarbonate, a glass fiber, glass beads, glass balloon, a milled fiber,glass flakes, a carbon fiber, carbon flakes, carbon beads, a carbonmilled fiber, metal flakes, a metal fiber, a metal-coated glass fiber, ametal-coated carbon fiber, metal-coated glass flakes, silica, ceramicparticles, a ceramic fiber, ceramic balloon, aramid particles, an aramidfiber, a polyarylate fiber, graphite, an electrically conductive carbonblack, carbon black, potassium titanate whisker, aluminum borate whiskerand various whiskers of basic magnesium sulfate, and the like. Thereinforcing filler may be of one type or a mixture of at least two typesof these.

[0167] Particularly preferred is a case where the reinforcing filler istalc or wollastonite that is destroyed in almost no case in the step ofpulverization and/or a kneading step to produce a regenerated resincomposition and which is a high-safety and fine filler, or it isparticularly talc. When the reinforcing filler as a virgin material isincorporated, talc is preferred, and talc having higher purity is morepreferred.

[0168] The resin composition of the present invention may furthercontain various stabilizers, and when various virgin materials areincorporated to produce the resin composition, it is preferred toincorporate various heat stabilizers and antioxidants.

[0169] The above heat stabilizers include phosphorus-containingstabilizers, and as a phosphorus-containing stabilizer, any one ofphosphite, phosphonite and phosphate stabilizers can be used.

[0170] The phosphate stabilizer refers, for example, to a phosphatecompound of the general formula (6).

[0171] wherein R⁸ is a hydrogen atom or is an alkyl group having 1 to 20carbon atoms, an aryl or alkaryl group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms, anaralkyl group having 7 to 30 carbon atoms, or a substituent formed bysubstituting a halo-, alkylthio (in which the alkyl has 1 to 30 carbonatoms) or hydroxy substituent on any one of these, provided that threesubstitutents as R⁸ are the same or different and substituents as R⁸ mayhave cyclic structures derived from dihydric phenols.

[0172] Further, as a more preferred embodiment, the compound of thegeneral formula (6) includes a phosphite compound of the followinggeneral formula (7),

[0173] wherein each of R⁹ and R¹⁰ is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl grouphaving 1 to 20 carbon atoms, an aryl or alkylaryl group having 6 to 20carbon atoms, or an aralkyl group having 7 to 30 carbon atoms, providedthat R⁹ and R¹⁰ are hydrogen atoms together in no case and that may bethe same as, or different from, each other.

[0174] Further, the phosphite stabilizer includes a phosphite compoundof the following general formula (8),

[0175] wherein each of R¹¹ and R¹² is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl grouphaving 1 to 20 carbon atoms, an aryl or alkylaryl group having 6 to 20carbon atoms, an aralkyl group having 7 to 30 carbon atoms, a cycloalkylgroup having 4 to 20 carbon atoms or a 2-(4-oxyphenyl)propyl-substitutedaryl group having 15 to 25 carbon atoms, provided that R¹¹ and R¹² maybe the same as, or different from, each other and that Further, thecycloalkyl group and the aryl group may be substituted with an alkylgroup or may not be substituted with an alkyl group.

[0176] Further, the phosphite stabilizer includes a phosphate compoundof the following general formula (9),

[0177] wherein each of R¹³ and R¹⁴ is an alkyl group having 12 to 15carbon atoms, provided that R¹³ and R¹⁴ may be the same as, or differentfrom, each other.

[0178] The phosphonite stabilizer includes a phosphonite compound of thefollowing general formula (10) and a phosphonite compound of thefollowing general formula (11).

[0179] wherein each of Ar¹ and Ar² is an aryl or alkylaryl group having6 to 20 carbon atoms or a 2-(4-oxyphenol)propyl-substituted aryl grouphaving 15 to 25 carbon atoms, provided that four Ar¹s may be the same,or different from, one another or that two Ar²s may be the same as, ordifferent from, each other.

[0180] Of the above phosphite compounds and phosphonite compounds, morepreferred as phosphorus-containing stabilizer are the phosphite compoundof the above general formula (7) and the phosphonite compounds of theabove general formulae (10) and (11). These compounds may be used aloneor in combination, and it is preferred to employ an embodiment in whichthe phosphite compound of the above general formula (7) is contained inan amount of at least 5% by weight per 100% by weight of Component E.

[0181] Preferred specific examples of the phosphite compound of theabove general formula (6) include diphenylisooctyl phosphite,2,2′-methylenebis(4,6-di-tert-butylphenyl)octyl phosphite,diphenylmono(tridecyl)phosphite, phenyldiisodecyl phosphite andphenyldi(tridecyl)phosphite. More preferred specific examples of thecompound of the above general formula (7) include triphenyl phosphite,tris(dimethylphenyl)phosphite, tris(diethylphenyl) phosphite,tris(di-iso-propylphenyl)phosphite, tris(di-n-butylphenyl)phosphite,tris(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)phosphite andtris(2,6-di-tert-butylphenyl)phosphite. Tris(dialkyl-substitutedphenyl)phosphite is preferred, tris(di-tert-butylphenyl)phosphite ismore preferred, and tris(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)phosphite isparticularly preferred. The above phosphite compounds may be used aloneor in combination.

[0182] Preferred specific examples of the phosphite compound of theabove general formula (8) include distearylpentaerythritol diphosphite,bis(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)pentaerythritol diphosphite,bis(2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenyl)pentaerythritol diphosphite, phenylbisphenol A pentaerythritol diphosphite and dicyclohexylpentaerythritoldiphosphite. Preferred are distearylpentaerythritol diphosphite,bis(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)pentaerythritol diphosphite andbis(2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenyl)pentaerythritol diphosphite. Thesephosphite compounds may be used alone or in combination.

[0183] The phosphite compound of the above general formula (9) isspecifically preferably 4,4′-isopropylidenediphenoltridecyl phosphite.

[0184] Preferred specific examples of the phosphonite compound of theabove general formula (10) includetetrakis(2,4-di-isopropylphenyl)-4,4′-biphenylene diphosphonite,tetrakis(2,4-di-n-butylphenyl)-4,4′-biphenylene diphosphonite,tetrakis(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)-4,4′-biphenylene diphosphonite,tetrakis(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)-4,3′-biphenylene diphosphonite,tetrakis(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)-3,3′-biphenylene diphosphonite,tetrakis(2,6-di-isopropylphenyl)-4,4′-biphenylene diphosphonite,tetrakis(2,6-di-n-butylphenyl)-4,4′-biphenylene diphosphonite,tetrakis(2,6-di-tert-butylphenyl)-4,4′-biphenylene diphosphonite,tetrakis(2,6-di-tert-butylphenyl)-4,3′-biphenylene diphosphonite andtetrakis(2,6-di-tert-butylphenyl)-3,3′-biphenylene diphosphonite.Tetrakis(di-tert-butylphenyl)-biphenylene diphosphonite is preferred,and tetrakis(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)-biphenylene diphosphonite is morepreferred. The above tetrakis(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)-biphenylenediphosphonite is preferably a mixture of two or more compounds.Specifically, tetrakis(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)-4,4′-biphenylenediphosphonite (Component x1),tetrakis(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)-4,3′-biphenylene diphosphonite(Component x2) and tetrakis(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)-3,3′-biphenylenediphosphonite (Component x3) may be used alone or in combination, and itis preferred to use a mixture of these three compounds. In the mixtureof the three compounds, the Component x1/Component x2/Component x3weight ratio is preferably in the range of 100: 37-64: 4-14, morepreferably in the range of 100: 40-60: 5-11.

[0185] Preferred specific examples of the phosphonite compound of theabove general formula (11) includebis(2,4-di-isopropylphenyl)-4-phenyl-phenyl phosphonite,bis(2,4-di-n-butylphenyl)-3-phenyl-phenyl phosphonite,bis(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)-4-phenyl-phenyl phosphonite,bis(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)-3-phenyl-phenyl phosphonite,bis(2,6-di-isopropylphenyl)-4-phenyl-phenyl phosphonite,bis(2,6-di-n-butylphenyl)-3-phenyl-phenyl phosphonite,bis(2,6-di-tert-butylphenyl)-4-phenyl-phenyl phosphonite, andbis(2,6-di-tert-butylphenyl)-3-phenyl-phenyl phosphonite. Preferred isbis(di-tert-butylphenyl)-phenyl-phenyl phosphonite, andbis(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)-phenyl-phenyl phosphonite is morepreferred. The above bis(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)-phenyl-phenylphosphonite is preferably a mixture of two or more compounds.Specifically, bis(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)-4-phenyl-phenyl phosphoniteand bis(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)-3-phenyl-phenyl phosphonite may be usedalone or in combination, and a mixture of these compounds is preferred.In the mixture of the above compounds, the amount ratio thereof byweight is preferably in the range of 5: 1-4, more preferably in therange of 5: 2-3.

[0186] The phosphate stabilizer includes tributyl phosphate, trimethylphosphate, tricresyl phosphate, triphenyl phosphate, trichlorophenylphosphate, triethyl phosphate, diphenylcresyl phosphate,diphenylmonoorthoxenyl phosphate, tributoxyethyl phosphate, dibutylphosphate, dioctyl phosphate and diisopropyl phosphate. Trimethylphosphate is preferred.

[0187] The above phosphorus-containing heat stabilizers may be usedalone or in combination. The content of the phosphorus-containingstabilizer per 100% by weight of the regenerated resin composition ofthe present invention is in the range of from 0.001 to 0.5% by weight,more preferably 0.005 to 0.3% by weight.

[0188] For producing the regenerated resin composition, variousantioxidants as a virgin material may be incorporated as required forproducing a regenerated resin composition having excellent mechanicalproperties, and the like. Examples of the above antioxidant includevitamin E,n-octadecyl-β-(4′-hydroxy-3′,5′-di-tert-butylphenyl)propionate,2-tert-butyl-6-(3′-tert-butyl-5′-methyl-2′-hydroxybenzyl)-4-methylphenylacrylate, 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-(N,N-dimethylaminomethyl)phenol,3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl phosphonate diethyl ester,2,2′-methylenebis(4-methyl-6-tert-butylphenol),2,2′-methylenebis(4-ethyl-6-tert-butylphenol),4,4′-methylenebis(2,6-di-tert-butylphenol),2,2′-methylenebis(4-methyl-6-cyclohexylphenol),2,2′-dimethylene-bis(6-α-methyl-benzyl-p-cresol),2,2′-ethylidene-bis(4,6-di-tert-butylphenol),2,2′-butylidene-bis(4-methyl-6-tert-butylphenol),4,4′-butylidenebis(3-methyl-6-tert-butylphenol), triethyleneglycol-N-bis-3-(3-tert-butyl-4-hydroxy-5-methylphenyl)propionate,1,6-hexanediolbis[3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)propionate],bis[2-tert-butyl-4-methyl-6-(3-tert-butyl-5-methyl-2-hydroxybenzyl)phenyl]terephthalate,3,9-bis{2-[3-(3-tert-butyl-4-hydroxy-5-methylphenyl)propionyloxy]-1,1-dimethylethyl}-2,4,8,10-tetraoxaspiro[5,5]undecane,4,4-thiobis(6-tert-butyl-m-cresol),4,4′-thiobis(3-methyl-6-tert-butylphenol),2,2′-thiobis(4-methyl-6-tert-butylphenol),bis(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl)sulfide,4,4′-di-thiobis(2,6-di-tert-butylphenol),4,4′-tri-thiobis(2,6-di-tert-butylphenol),2,4-bis(n-octylthio)-6-(4-hydroxy-3′,5′-di-tert-butylanilino)-1,3,5-triazine,N,N′-hexamethylenebis-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyhydrocinnamide),N,N′-bis[3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)propionyl]hydrazine,1,1,3-tris(2-methyl-4-hydroxy-5-tert-butylphenyl)butane,1,3,5-trimethyl-2,4,6-tris(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl)benzene,tris(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)isocyanurate,tris(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl)isocyanurate,1,3,5-tris(4-tert-butyl-3-hydroxy-2,6-dimethylbenzyl)isocyanurate,1,3,5-tris2[3(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)propionyloxy]ethylisocyanurate, andtetrakis[methylene-3-(3′,5′-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)propionate]methane.The content of the antioxidant per 100% by weight of the regeneratedresin composition is preferably in the range of from 0.0001 to 0.5% byweight, more preferably 0.001 to 0.3% by weight.

[0189] For producing the regenerated resin composition, variousultraviolet absorbents as a virgin material may be incorporated.Examples of the ultraviolet absorbent include benzophenone ultravioletabsorbents typified by 2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone,2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone, 2-hydroxy-4-n-octoxybenzophenone,2-hydroxy-4-n-dodecyloxybenzophenone, 2-hydroxy-4-benzyloxybenzophenone,2,2′-dihydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone,2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-2′-carboxybenzophenone,2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-5-sulfoxybenzophenone,2,2′-dihydroxy-4,4′-dimethoxybenzophenone,2,2′,4,4′-tetrahydroxybenzophenone,2,2′-dihydroxy-4,4′-dimethoxy-5-sodiumsulfoxybenzophenone andbis(5-benzoyl-4-hydroxy-2-methoxyphenyl)methane.

[0190] Further, examples of the ultraviolet absorbent includebenzotriazole ultraviolet absorbents typified by2-(2′-hydroxy-5′-methylphenyl)benzotriazole,2-(2′-hydroxy-5′-tert-butylphenyl)benzotriazole,2-(2′-hydroxy-5′-tert-octylphenyl)benzotriazole,2-(2′-hydroxy-3′,5′-di-tert-butylphenyl)benzotriazole,2-(2′-hydroxy-3′,5′-di-tert-amylphenyl)benzotriazole,2-(2′-hydroxy-3′-dodecyl-5′-methylphenyl)benzotriazole,2-(2′-hydroxy-3′,5′-bis(α,α′-dimethylbenzyl)phenylbenzotriazole,2-[2′-hydroxy-3′-(3″,4″,5″,6″-tetraphthalimidomethyl)-5′-methylphenyl]benzotriazole,2-(2′-hydroxy-3′-tert-butyl-5′-methylphenyl)-5-chlorobenzotriazole,2-(2′-hydroxy-3′,5′-di-tert-butylphenyl)-5-chlorobenzotriazole,2,2′-metyhylenebis[4-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)-6-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)phenol]and an adduct ofmethyl-3-[3-tert-butyl-5-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4-hydroxyphenylpropionatewith polyethylene glycol.

[0191] Further, the regenerated resin composition may contain hinderedamine light stabilizers typified bybis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperizyl)sebacate,bis(1,2,2,6,6-pentamethyl-4-piperizyl)sebacate,bis(1,2,2,6,6-pentamethyl-4-piperizyl)-2-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl)-2n-butylmalonate,a condensate of 1,2,3,4-butanecarboxylic acid,2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperizinol and tridecyl alcohol, a condensate of1,2,3,4-butanedicarboxylic acid, 1,2,2,6,6-pentamethyl-4-piperizinol andtridecyl alcohol,tetrakis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperizyl)-1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylate,tetrakis(1,2,2,6,6-pentamethyl-4-piperizyl)-1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylate,poly{[6-(1,1,3,3-tetramethyl)amino-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diyl][(2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperizyl)imino]hexamethylene[(2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperizyl)imino]},poly{[6-morpholino-s-triazine-2,4-diyl][(2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperizyl)imino]hexamethylene[(2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperizyl)imino]},a condensate of 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid,2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperizinol andβ,β,β′,β′-tetramethyl-3,9-(2,4,8,10-tetraoxaspiro[5,5]undecane)diethanol,a condensate of N,N′-bis(3-aminopropyl)ethylenediamine and2,4-bis[N-butyl-N-(1,2,2,6,6-pentamethyl-4-piperizyl)amino]-chloro-1,3,5-triazine,a condensate of 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid,1,2,2,6,6-pentamethyl-4-piperizinol andβ,β,β′,β′-tetramethyl-3,9-(2,4,8,10-tetraoxaspiro[5,5]undecane)diethanol,andpolymethylpropyl-3-oxy-[4-(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl)piperizinyl]cyclohexane.The above light stabilizers may be used alone or in combination. Thecontent of each of the above ultraviolet absorbent and the above lightstabilizer per 100% by weight of the regenerated resin composition is0.0001 to 1% by weight, preferably 0.001 to 0.5% by weight.

[0192] Further, the mold release agent includes an olefin-based wax,silicone oil, organopolysiloxane, a higher fatty acid ester of amonohydric or higher alcohol, paraffin wax and beeswax.

[0193] The regenerated resin composition of the present invention can beproduced by blending the molded article pulverized material and variousvirgin materials including the aromatic polycarbonate resin with a mixersuch as a V-shaped blender, a Nauta mixer, a Henschel mixer or a Banburymixer or by melt-kneading them with a heating kneader such as a kneadingroll or an extruder. Further, there may be employed a method in whichthe molded article pulverized material is melt-kneaded to preparegranules in advance and the granules are blended or melt-kneaded withvarious virgin materials. Further, various virgin materials that aremelt-kneaded beforehand may be blended or melt-kneaded with a pulverizedmaterial and/or a melt-kneaded material of the pulverized material. Theheating temperature for the melt-kneading is generally set in the rangeof from 220° C. to 340° C.

[0194] The thus-obtained regenerated resin composition can be widelyused in the fields of electric, electronic, office automation machinesand equipment where mechanical strength and long-term mechanicalproperties are required and recycled products are suitably used, byutilizing injection molding, injection compression molding, extrusion,compression molding, hollow molding, calendaring, blow molding, vacuumforming and rotary molding, or the like, and the regenerated resincomposition accomplishes effective recycling.

EXAMPLES

[0195] The present invention will be further explained with reference toExamples hereinafter. In Examples, “%” stands for “% by weight”, andevaluations were conducted by the following methods.

[0196] (1) Evaluation Items

[0197] (a) Wet heat retention ratio: A pulverized material or a moldedarticle of a regenerated resin composition was treated with a pressurecooker tester (ultra-acceleration life tester (PC-305III/V), supplied byHirayama Manufacturing Corporation) for 24 hours under conditions of120° C., 100% RH, 2 atmospheric pressures, and a wet heat retentionratio was determined on the basis of the following equation.

[0198] Wet heat retention ratio (%)=viscosity average molecular weightafter wet heat treatment/viscosity average molecular weight before wetheat treatment)×100

[0199] (b) Initial flexural strength: Measured according to ASTM D790.

[0200] (c) Initial impact value: An Izod notched test piece having athickness of 3.2 mm was measured according to ASTM D256.

[0201] (d) Initial flame retardancy: A 1.6 mm thick test piece wassubjected to a combustion test according to UL standard 94V.

[0202] (e) Long-term accelerated flexural strength: A test pieceaccording to ASTM D790 was treated in a constant-temperatureconstant-humidity tester (Platinous F supplied by Tabai Espec Corp.)under conditions of 65° C. and 85%RH for 1,000 hours and then measuredaccording to the above measurement standard.

[0203] (f) Long-term accelerated impact value: An izod-notched 3.2 mmthick test piece according to ASTM D256 was treated under the sameconditions as those in (e) for 1,000 hours, notched with the sameapparatus and cutting tool as those used in the (c) initial impact valueand measured according to the above measurement standard.

[0204] (g) Long-term accelerated flame retardancy: A 1.6 mm thick testpiece according to UL standard 94V was treated under the same conditionsas those in (e) and subjected to a flamins test according to the abovestandard.

[0205] (h) Impact value retention ratio: Determined on the basis of thefollowing equation. A higher value of the impact value retention ratiomeans better performances.

[0206] Impact value retention ratio (%)=(long-term accelerated impactvalue/initial impact value)×100

[0207] (2) Composition Analysis Method

[0208] Pulverized materials of molded articles containing an aromaticpolycarbonate resin, collected from markets, were analyzed forcompositions by the following method. Tables 8 and 9 shows results ofthe following composition analysis.

[0209] (i) Analysis of main resin components

[0210] Main components were analyzed according to an FT-IR method and aDSC method.

[0211] (ii) Analysis of residue by hydrazine decomposition

[0212] A molded article pulverized material was immersed in hydrazine at130° C. for 2 hours to mainly decompose a polycarbonate resin, and atotal amount of other resin components such as an ABS resin, inorganiccomponents such as a pigment and dripping preventing agents such asPTFE, etc., were calculated.

[0213] (iii) Analysis of ashed residue content

[0214] A molded article pulverized material was heat-treated in anelectric oven at 600° C. for 3 hours, and an ashed residue amount wascalculated to study a content of inorganic components such as a pigment.

[0215] (iv) Analysis of a diene-based rubber component amount

[0216] When a diene-based rubber component was identified in a moldedarticle pulverized material, an amount thereof was calculated accordingto an iodine monochloride method.

[0217] (v) Identification of monomers such as diene-based rubbercomponent, etc.

[0218] A residue remaining after the hydrazine decomposition in theabove (ii) was measured by a pyrolysis gas chromatography mass analysisat 590° C., and monomer components derived from an ABS resin, an MBSresin, etc., were identified.

[0219] (vi) Observation of inorganic components, etc.

[0220] Residues obtained in the above (ii) or (iii) were observedthrough a microscope to identify approximate substances of inorganiccomponents, etc.

[0221] (vii) Identification of phosphoric ester and identification ofits content

[0222] When a phosphoric ester component was contained as a flameretardant, its structure and its content were identified by ¹H-NMRmeasurement and fluorescence X-ray measurement.

[0223] (viii) Measurement of PTFE amount

[0224] Concerning a molded article pulverized material, a content of adripping preventing agent was determined by an ion chromatography methodon the assumption that the entire dripping preventing agent was PTFE (Itwas confirmed by DSC measurement of a hydrazine decomposition residuethat PTFE was contained).

[0225] (ix) Analysis for halogen-containing compound

[0226] A molded article was analyzed for a bromine compound by Beilsteintest and fluorescence X-ray measurement.

[0227] (x) Measurement of bromine compound amount

[0228] A molded article was measured for a bromine amount by acombustion ion choromatography method. An amount of a bromine amount wasdetermined on the basis of the bromine content of a correspondingbromine compound.

[0229] (xi) Amount ratio of polycarbonate and polyester

[0230]¹H-NMR measurement was carried out and a ratio thereof wascalculated on the basis of a peak intensity area ratio. A comparison wasmade between a peak derived from a methyl group of a polycarbonate resinand a peak derived from a methylene group of a polyester resin.

Example 1 and Comparative Example 1

[0231] A pulverized material model, a polycarbonate resin, astyrene-based resin, a flame retardant, an impact modifier and adripping preventing agent were mixed to form a composition as shown inTable 1, and the mixture was fed to a 30 mmφ-diameter vented twin-screwextruder (TEX30XSST, supplied by The Japan Steel Works, Ltd.) andmelt-extruded at a cylinder temperature of 260° C. to form pellets. Theobtained pellets were dried in a hot air circulation dryer at 100° C.for 5 hours and injection-molded with an injection molding machine(SG150U supplied by Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd.) at a cylindertemperature of 260° C. at a mold temperature 60° C. to give test piecesfor evaluation. Table 1 shows evaluation results.

Example 2 and Comparative Example 2

[0232] A pulverized material model, a polycarbonate resin, and adripping preventing agent were mixed to form a composition as shown inTable 1, and the mixture was fed to a 30 mmφ-diameter vented twin-screwextruder (TEX30XSST, supplied by The Japan Steel Works, Ltd.) andmelt-extruded at a cylinder temperature of 280° C. to form pellets. Theobtained pellets were dried in a hot air circulation dryer at 120° C.for 5 hours and injection-molded with an injection molding machine(SG150U supplied by Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd.) at a cylindertemperature of 290° C. at a mold temperature 70° C. to give test piecesfor evaluation. Table 1 shows evaluation results. TABLE 1 Component UnitEx.1 C.Ex.1 Ex.2 C.Ex.2 Formulated Pulverized material MS-1 % — 30 — —composition MS-2 % 30 — — — MS-3 % — — — 50 MS-4 % — — 50 —Polycarbonate resin PC-1 % 48.3 48.3 — — PC-2 % — — 49.8 49.8Styrene-based resin ST-1 % 11 11 — — Impact modifier MD-1 % 3.5 3.5 — —Flame retardant FR-4 % 7 7 — — Dripping preventing agent PTFE % 0.2 0.20.2 0.2 Properties Initial flexural strength MPa 92 92 93 93 Initialimpact value J/m 432 330 685 218 Initial flame retardancy — V-0 V-1 V-0V-0 Long-term accelerated flexural strength MPa 90 89 92 91 Long-termaccelerated impact value J/m 347 43 610 46 Long-term accelerated flameretardancy — V-0 not-V V-0 V-1 Impact value retention ratio % 80 13 8721

Example 3 and Comparative Example 3

[0233] A pulverized material model, a polycarbonate resin, a polyesterresin, a flame retardant, an impact modifier, a dripping preventingagent and other components were mixed to form a composition as shown inTable 2, and the mixture was fed to a 30 mmφ-diameter vented twin-screwextruder (TEX30XSST, supplied by The Japan Steel Works, Ltd.) andmelt-extruded at a cylinder temperature of 280° C. to form pellets. Theobtained pellets were dried in a hot air circulation dryer at 105° C.for 5 hours and injection-molded with an injection molding machine(SG150U supplied by Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd.) at a cylindertemperature of 270° C. at a mold temperature 70° C. to give test piecesfor evaluation. Table 2 shows evaluation results. TABLE 2 Component UnitEx.3 C.Ex.3 Formu- Pulverized material MS-5 % — 30 lated MS-6 % 30 —Comp- Polycarbonate resin PC-1 % 43.8 43.8 osition Polyester resin PET %11.7 11.7 PBT % 0.7 0.7 Impact modifier SIS % 3 3 Flame retardant FR-4 %6.5 6.5 Dripping preventing agent PTFE % 0.2 0.2 Others COMP % 4 4 S-1 %0.1 0.1 Proper- Initial flexural strength MPa 90 88 ties Initial impactvalue J/m 630 390 Initial flame retardancy — V-0 V-0 Long-termaccelerated flexural strength MPa 89 85 Long-term accelerated impactvalue J/m 498 120 Long-term accelerated flame retardancy — V-0 not-VImpact value retention ratio % 79 31

Examples 4-7 and Comparative Examples 4-7

[0234] A pulverized material model or a recycled material of thepulverized material model, a polycarbonate resin, a styrene-based resin,a flame retardant, an impact modifier, a reinforcing filler and adripping preventing agent were mixed to form a composition as shown inTable 3, and the mixture was fed to a 30 mmφ-diameter vented twin-screwextruder (TEX30XSST, supplied by The Japan Steel Works, Ltd.) andmelt-extruded at a cylinder temperature of 260° C. to form pellets. Theobtained pellets were dried in a hot air circulation dryer at 100° C.for 5 hours and injection-molded with an injection molding machine(SG150U supplied by Sumitomo Heavy Machinery Industries, Ltd.) at acylinder temperature of 260° C. at a mold temperature 60° C. to givetest pieces for evaluation. Table 3 shows evaluation results. TABLE 3Component Unit Ex.4 Ex.5 Ex.6 Ex.7 C.Ex.4 C.Ex.5 C.Ex.6 C.Ex.7 APulverized material MS-1 % — — — — 20 — — — MS-1-1 % — — — — — 20 — —MS-1-2 % — — — — — — 20 — MS-1-3 % — — — — — — — 20 MS-2 % 20 — — — — —— — MS-2-1 % — 20 — — — — — — MS-2-2 % — — 20 — — — — — MS-2-3 % — — —20 — — — — Polycarbonate resin PC-1 % 53.36 53.36 53.36 53.36 — — — —PC-2 % — — — — 54.96 54.96 54.96 54.96 Styrene-based resin ST-1 % 12.812.8 12.8 12.8 12.8 12.8 12.8 12.8 Impact modifier MD-1 % 4 4 4 4 4 4 44 Flame retardant FR-4 % 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 Reinforcing agent TD % 1.6 1.61.6 1.6 — — — — Dripping preventing agent PTFE % 0.24 0.24 0.24 0.240.24 0.24 0.24 0.24 B Initial flexural strength MPa 92 92 91 91 92 90 9090 Initial impact value J/m 443 442 437 433 338 320 311 302 Initialflame retardancy — V-0 V-0 V-0 V-0 V-1 V-1 V-1 V-1 Long-term acceleratedflexural strength MPa 91 91 91 90 89 88 88 87 Long-term acceleratedimpact value J/m 368 362 354 346 47 38 31 27 Long-term accelerated flameretardancy — V-0 V-0 V-0 V-0 V-1 not-V not-V not-V Impact valueretention ratio % 82 82 81 80 14 12 10 9

Comparative Example 8

[0235] A pulverized material and a polycarbonate resin were mixed toform a composition as shown in Table 4, and the mixture was fed to a 30mmφ-diameter vented twin-screw extruder (TEX30XSST, supplied by TheJapan Steel Works, Ltd.) and melt-extruded at a cylinder temperature of290° C. to form pellets. The obtained pellets were dried in a hot aircirculation dryer at 120° C. for 5 hours and injection-molded with aninjection molding machine (SG150U supplied by Sumitomo Heavy Industries,Ltd.) at a cylinder temperature of 290° C. at a mold temperature 70° C.to give test pieces for evaluation. Table 4 shows evaluation results.

Comparative Example 9

[0236] A pulverized material, a polycarbonate resin and a flameretardant were mixed to form a composition as shown in Table 4, and themixture was fed to a 30 mmφ-diameter vented twin-screw extruder(TEX30XSST, supplied by The Japan Steel Works, Ltd.) and melt-extrudedat a cylinder temperature of 250° C. to form pellets. The obtainedpellets were dried in a hot air circulation dryer at 100° C. for 5 hoursand injection-molded with an injection molding machine (SG150U -suppliedby Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd.) at a cylinder temperature of 250° C.at a mold temperature 60° C. to give test pieces for evaluation. Table 4shows evaluation results. TABLE 4 C.- C.- Component Unit Ex.8 Ex.9 Form-Pulverized material RE-1 % 20 20 ulated Polycarbonate resin PC-1 % 8071.8 comp- Flame retardant FR-1 % — 8 osition Dripping preventing agentPTFE % — 0.2 Properties Initial flexural strength MPa 89 83 Initialimpact value J/m 205 69 Initial flame retardancy — — V-0 Long-termaccelerated flexural strength MPa 90 80 Long-term accelerated impactvalue J/m 92 33 Long-term accelerated flame retardancy — — V-2 Impactvalue retention ratio % 45 48

Examples 8-17 and Comparative Examples 10-15

[0237] A pulverized material, a polycarbonate resin, a styrene-basedresin, a flame retardant, a reinforcing agent, a dripping preventingagent and 0.6 part by weight, per 100 parts by weight of the abovecomponents, of SL-900 (supplied by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.), which was amixture of a fatty acid alkyl wax and triglyceride (mixing ratio(weight)=70:30) as a lubricant and a mold release agent, were mixed toform a composition as shown in Table 5 or 6, and the mixture was fed toa 30 mmφ-diameter vented twin-screw extruder (TEX30XSST, supplied by TheJapan Steel Works, Ltd.) and melt-extruded at a cylinder temperature of250° C. to form pellets. The obtained pellets were dried in a hot aircirculation dryer at 100° C. for 5 hours and injection-molded with aninjection molding machine (SG150U supplied by Sumitomo Heavy Industries,Ltd.) at a cylinder temperature of 250° C. at a mold temperature 60° C.to give test pieces for evaluation. Tables 5 and 6 show evaluationresults. TABLE 5 Component Unit Ex.8 Ex.9 Ex.10 Ex.11 Ex.12 Ex.13 Ex.14Ex.15 Ex.16 Ex.17 A Pulverized Material RE-2 % 30 30 — — — — — — — —RE-3 % — — 20 40 20 20 40 20 30 20 RE-4 % — — — — — — — — — — RE-5 % — —— — — — — — — — Polycarbonate resin PC-1 % 70 58.8 80 60 54.56 52.6439.48 52.76 50.7 52.64 Styrene-based resin ST-1 % — — — — 14.4 12 9 1010 12 Flame retardant FR-1 % — — — — — — — — 6 — FR-2 % — 8 — — 8 8 6 8— — FR-3 % — — — — — — — — — 8 Impact modifier MD-1 % — 3 — — 2.8 3.122.34 — — — MD-2 % — — — — — — — 5 3 — MD-3 % — — — — — — — — — 3.12Reinforcing agent TD % — — — — — 4 3 4 — 4 Dripping preventing agentPTFE % — 0.2 — — 0.24 0.24 0.18 0.24 0.3 0.24 B Initial flexuralstrength MPa 87 86 89 87 90 90 90 89 88 90 Initial impact value J/m 433458 460 398 310 320 318 334 310 312 Initial flame retardancy — — V-0 — —V-0 V-0 V-0 V-0 V-0 V-0 Long-term accelerated flexural strength MPa 7980 90 88 90 90 91 90 88 91 Long-term accelerated impact value J/m 332307 330 265 202 245 242 257 192 243 Long-term accelerated flammability —— V-0 — — V-0 V-0 V-0 V-0 V-0 V-0 Impact value retention ratio % 77 6772 67 65 77 76 77 63 78

[0238] TABLE 6 Component Unit C.Ex.10 C.Ex.11 C.Ex.12 C.Ex.13 C.Ex.14C.Ex.15 A Pulverized material RE-2 % — — — — — — RE-3 % — — — — — — RE-4% 10 20 20 — — — RE-5 % — — — 20 40 100 Polycarbonate resin PC-1 % 90 8054.56 54.56 60 — Styrene-based resin ST-1 % — — 14.4 14.4 — — Flameretardant FR-1 % — — — — — — FR-2 % — — 8 8 — — FR-3 % — — — — — —Impact modifier MD-1 % — — 2.8 2.8 — — MD-2 % — — — — — — MD-3 % — — — —— — Reinforcing agent TD % — — — — — — Dripping preventing agent PTFE %— — 0.24 0.24 — — B Initial flexural strength MPa 88 87 89 84 81 75Initial impact value J/m 450 434 278 198 166 54 Initial flame retardancy— — — V-0 V-0 — HB Long-term accelerated flexural strength MPa 83 82 8678 71 60 Long-term accelerated impact value J/m 45 39 68 61 39 13Long-term accelerated flammability — — — V-1 V-1 — HB Impact valueretention ratio % 10 9 24 31 23 24

Examples 18 and 19

[0239] A molded article pulverized material, an aromatic polycarbonateresin, styrene-based resin pellets, an impact modifier, a flameretardant, a reinforcing material, a dripping preventing agent and acolorant were strands-extruded by a feed method shown in Table 7 to forma composition shown in Table 7, and the strands were cooled in a watervessel and granulated with a strand cutter to give pellets. The obtainedpellets were dried in a hot air circulation dryer at 100° C. for 5 hoursand injection-molded with an injection molding machine (SG150U suppliedby Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd.) at a cylinder temperature of 250° C.at a mold temperature 60° C. to give test pieces for evaluation.

[0240] Table 7 shows compositions of materials fed to the extruder andevaluation results, and Table 9 shows analysis results of thecompositions of molded article pulverized materials.

[0241] The condition of kneading with an extruder was set as follows. Asan extruder, a 30 mmφ-diameter vented twin-screw extruder (TEX30XSST,supplied by The Japan Steel Works, Ltd.) was used. Above a first feedport, a cassette weighing feeder (CWF-1) that was a material feeder witha twin-screw (CE-T-1 OS01; supplied by Kubota, Corp.) was mounted. Aside feeder having a twin screw was connected to a second feed porthalfway along the extruder, and further, two cassette weighing feeders(CWF-2 and CWF-3) that were material feeders with a twin screw each weremounted above the side feeder. Each cassette weighing feeder wasconnected to a feed control unit to control the feed amount of each.Further, the output total was set at 20,000 g/hour. Concerning extrusiontemperatures, the temperature in zones from the first feed port up tothe side feeder was set at 250° C., and the temperature in zonesthereafter was set at 225° C. The extrusion was carried out at a screwrevolution speed of 180 rpm and at a vent vacuum degree of 3 kPa.

Example 20

[0242] A pulverized material, a polycarbonate resin, polyethyleneterephthalate resin pellets (that had been dried with hot air at 120° C.for 5 hours), an impact modifier, a flame retardant and a drippingpreventing agent extruded by a feed method shown in Table 7 to form acomposition shown in Table 7 in the same manner as in Example 18 exceptthat the extrusion temperature in zones from the first feed port up tothe side feeder was set at 260° C. and that the temperature in zonesthereafter was set at 245° C., to obtain pellets. The thus-obtainedpellets were dried in a hot air circulation dryer at 120° C. for 5 hoursand injection-molded with an injection molding machine (SG150U suppliedby Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd.) at a cylinder temperature of 260° C.at a mold temperature 60° C. to give test pieces for evaluation. Table 7shows compositions of materials fed to the extruder and evaluationresults, and Table 9 shows analysis results of the compositions ofmolded article pulverized materials. TABLE 7 Material feeding methodExample Feed port Feeder Component Unit 18 19 20 First feeder CWF-1Polycarbonate resin PC-1 % 44.8 39.3 26.8 Impact modifier MD-1 % 4 — 5MD-2 % — 3.5 — Flame retardant FR-2 % 8 — — FR-3 % — 7 — FR-5 % — — 10Reinforcing material TD % 4 — — Dripping preventing agent PTFE % 0.2 0.20.2 Colorant master DC-1 % 3 — — DC-2 % — 2 — Second feeder CWF-2Pulverized material RE-6 % 20 — — RE-7 % — 30 — RE-8 % — — 40 CWF-3Styrene-based resin ST-1 % 16 18 — Polyester resin PET % — — 18Properties Initial flexural strength MPa 90 88 90 Initial impact valueJ/m 318 322 610 Initial flame retardancy — V-O V-O V-O Long-termaccelerated flexural strength MPa 90 89 89 Long-term accelerated impactvalue J/m 245 219 476 Long-term accelerated flammability — V-O V-O V-OImpact value retention ratio % 77 68 78

[0243] Symbols attached to the pulverized material, the resin, the flameretardant and the additives in Tables 1 to 9 mean as follows.

[0244] (Molded Article Pulverized Material Model ContainingPolycarbonate Resin)

[0245] MS-1: 68.7% by weight of a polycarbonate resin indicated bysymbol PC-2 below and 10% by weight of CR-733S (phosphoric esteroligomer) supplied by Daihachi Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. as aphosphoric ester, were homogeneously mixed, and then the homogeneousmixture was mixed with 16% by weight of an ABS resin indicated by symbolST-1 below, 5% by weight of a rubber elastomer indicated as MD-1 and0.3% by weight of a dripping preventing agent indicated as PTFE. Theresultant mixture was charged into a 30 mmφ-diameter vented twin-screwextruder (TEX30XSST, supplied by The Japan Steel Works, Ltd.) andmelt-extruded at a cylinder temperature of 260° C. to form pellets. Theobtained pellets were dried in a hot air circulation dryer at 100° C.for 5 hours and injection-molded with an injection molding machine(SG150U supplied by Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd.) at a cylindertemperature of 260° C. at a mold temperature 60° C. to give moldedarticles having a side length of 150 mm each and a thickness of 3 mm forevaluation. Then, the molded article was allowed to stand in aconstant-temperature constant-humidity tester (Platinous F supplied byTabai Espec Corp.) under conditions of 65° C. and 85%RH for 1,000 hours,to give molded articles whose degradation was accelerated under a wetheat environment. Then, the thus-treated molded articles were pulverizedwith a pulverizer (SB-210; supplied by Horai Co., Ltd.) at a processperformance rate of 70 kg/hour, and uniformly blended with a V-shapedblender to give a molded article pulverized material model (MS-1). MS-1had a viscosity average molecular weight of 21,500 and a wet heatretention ratio of 55%.

[0246] MS-2: A molded article pulverized material model (MS-2) wasobtained by carrying out molding, wet heat treatment and pulverizationin the same manner as in the preparation of MS-1 except that 68.7% byweight of the polycarbonate resin indicated by symbol PC-2 was replacedwith 66.7% by weight of a polycarbonate resin indicated by symbol PC-1and 2% by weight of TD. MS-2 had a viscosity average molecular weight of21,800 and a wet heat retention ratio of 86%.

[0247] MS-3: 95.3% by weight of a polycarbonate resin indicated bysymbol PC-2 below, 4% by weight of a silicone-based flame retardant(XC99-B5664; supplied by Toshiba Silicone), 0.4% by weight of potassiumsalt of N-(p-tolylsulfonyl)-p-toluenesulfoimide and 0.3% by weight ofPTFE (dripping preventing agent) were homogeneously mixed. The resultantmixture was charged into a 30 mmφ-diameter vented twin-screw extruder(TEX30XSST, supplied by The Japan Steel Works, Ltd.) and melt-extrudedat a cylinder temperature of 290° C. to form pellets. The obtainedpellets were dried in a hot air circulation dryer at 120° C. for 5 hoursand injection-molded with an injection molding machine (SG150U suppliedby Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd.) at a cylinder temperature of 290° C.at a mold temperature 80° C. to give molded articles having a sidelength of 150 mm each and a thickness of 3 mm for evaluation. Then, themolded articles were allowed to stand in a constant-temperatureconstant-humidity tester (Platinous F supplied by Tabai Espec Corp.)under conditions of 65° C. and 85%RH for 1,000 hours, to give moldedarticles whose degradation was accelerated under a wet heat environment.Then, the thus-treated molded articles were pulverized with a pulverizer(SB-210; supplied by Horal Co., Ltd.) at a process performance rate of70 kg/hour, and uniformly blended with a V-shaped blender to give amolded article pulverized material model (MS-3). MS-3 had a viscosityaverage molecular weight of 21,800 and a wet heat retention ratio of58%.

[0248] MS-4: A molded article pulverized material model (MS-4) wasobtained by carrying out molding of 97.64% by weight of the followingsymbol PC-1 (polycarbonate resin), 2% by weight of a silicone-basedflame retardant (X-40-9243; supplied by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.),0.01% by weight of an alkali metal salt-based flame retardant (MegafacF-114P; supplied by Dainippon Ink & Chemicals, Inc.), 0.3% by weight ofPTFE (dripping preventing agent) and 0.05% by weight of S-1(phosphite-based antioxidant) and wet heat treatment and pulverizationin the same manner as in the preparation of MS-3. MS-4 had a viscosityaverage molecular weight of 19,100 and a wet heat retention ratio of88%.

[0249] MS-5: 62.6% by weight of the following symbol PC-2 (polycarbonateresin), 16.7% by weight of PET (polyethylene terephthalate), 1% byweight of PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), 4.2% by weight of SIS(styrene-based elastomer), 5.8% by weight of COMP (additive containing apolyester-styrene-based elastomer copolymer), 9.2% by weight of FR-4(flame retardant), 0.4% by weight of PTFE (dripping preventing agent)and 0.1% by weight of S-1 (stabilizer) were homogeneously mixed. Then,the resultant mixture was charged into a 30 mmφ-diameter ventedtwin-screw extruder (TEX30XSST, supplied by The Japan Steel Works, Ltd.)and melt-extruded at a cylinder temperature of 290° C. to form pellets.The obtained pellets were dried in a hot air circulation dryer at 105°C. for 5 hours and injection-molded with an injection molding machine(SG150U supplied by Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd.) at a cylindertemperature of 270° C. at a mold temperature 70° C. to give moldedarticles having a side length of 150 mm each and a thickness of 3 mm forevaluation. Then, the molded articles were allowed to stand in aconstant-temperature constant-humidity tester (Platinous F supplied byTabai Espec Corp.) under conditions of 65° C. and 85%RH for 1,000 hours,to give molded articles whose degradation was accelerated under a wetheat environment. Then, the thus-treated molded articles were pulverizedwith a pulverizer (SB-210; supplied by Horai Co., Ltd.) at a processperformance rate of 70 kg/hour, and uniformly blended with a V-shapedblender to give a molded article pulverized material model (MS-5). MS-5had a viscosity average molecular weight of 14,300 and a wet heatretention ratio of 53%.

[0250] MS-6: A molded article pulverized material model (MS-6) wasobtained by carrying out molding, wet heat treatment and pulverizationin the same manner as in the preparation of MS-5 except that PC-2 wasreplaced with PC-1, that 9.2% by weight of FR-4 (flame retardant) wasreplaced with 8.4% by weight of FR-3 (flame retardant) and 0.8% byweight of TD. MS-6 had a viscosity average molecular weight of 18,400and a wet heat retention ratio of 84%.

[0251] (Repeatedly Regenerated Pulverized Material of Molded ArticlePulverized Material Model Containing Polycarbonate Resin)

[0252] MS-1-1: MS-1, a polycarbonate resin, a styrene-based resin, aflame retardant, an impact modifier and a dripping preventing agent weremixed in an amount ratio shown in Table 1, and the resultant mixture wascharged into a 30 mmφ-diameter vented twin-screw extruder (TEX30XSST,supplied by The Japan Steel Works, Ltd.) and melt-extruded at a cylindertemperature of 260° C. to form pellets. The obtained pellets were driedin a hot air circulation dryer at 100° C. for 5 hours andinjection-molded with an injection molding machine (SG150U supplied bySumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd.) at a cylinder temperature of 260° C. ata die temperature 60° C. to give molded articles having a side length of150 mm each and a thickness of 3 mm for evaluation. Then, the moldedarticles were allowed to stand in a constant-temperatureconstant-humidity tester (Platinous F supplied by Tabai Espec Corp.)under conditions of 65° C. and 85%RH for 1,000 hours, to give moldedarticles whose degradation was accelerated under a wet heat environment.Then, the thus-treated molded articles were pulverized with a pulverizer(SB-210; supplied by Horai Co., Ltd.) at a process performance rate of70 kg/hour, and uniformly blended with a V-shaped blender to give afirst-regeneration pulverized material (MS-1-1) of a molded articlepulverized material model. MS-1-1 had a viscosity average molecularweight of 21,200 and a wet heat retention ratio of 51%.

[0253] MS-1-2; A second-regeneration pulverized material (MS-1-2) of amolded article pulverized material model was obtained in the same manneras in the preparation of MS-1-1 except that the pulverized material MS-1was replaced with MS-1-1. MS-1-2 had a viscosity average molecularweight of 21,000 and a wet heat retention ratio of 50%.

[0254] MS-1-3: A third-regeneration pulverized material (MS-1-3) of amolded article pulverized material model was obtained in the same manneras in the preparation of MS-1-1 except that the pulverized material MS-1was replaced with MS-1-2. MS-1-3 had a viscosity average molecularweight of 20,800 and a wet heat retention ratio of 48%.

[0255] MS-2-1: MS-2, a polycarbonate resin, a styrene-based resin, aflame retardant, an impact modifier, a reinforcing filler and a drippingpreventing agent were mixed in an amount ratio shown in Table 1, and theresultant mixture was charged into a 30 mmφ-diameter vented twin-screwextruder (TEX30XSST, supplied by The Japan Steel Works, Ltd.) andmelt-extruded at a cylinder temperature of 260° C. to form pellets. Theobtained pellets were dried in a hot air circulation dryer at 100° C.for 5 hours and injection-molded with an injection molding machine(SG150U supplied by Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd.) at a cylindertemperature of 260° C. at a mold temperature 60° C. to give moldedarticles having a side length of 150 mm each and a thickness of 3 mm forevaluation. Then, the molded articles were allowed to stand in aconstant-temperature constant-humidity tester (Platinous F supplied byTabai Espec Corp.) under conditions of 65° C. and 85%RH for 1,000 hours,to give molded articles whose degradation was accelerated under a wetheat environment. Then, the thus-treated molded articles were pulverizedwith a pulverizer (SB-210; supplied by Horai Co., Ltd.) at a processperformance rate of 70 kg/hour, and uniformly blended with a V-shapedblender to give a first-regeneration pulverized material (MS-2-1) of amolded article pulverized material model. MS-2-1 had a viscosity averagemolecular weight of 21,700 and a wet heat retention ratio of 84%.

[0256] MS-2-2: A second-regeneration pulverized material (MS-2-2) of amolded article pulverized material model was obtained in the same manneras in the preparation of MS-2-1 except that the pulverized material MS-2was replaced with MS-2-1. MS-2-2 had a viscosity average molecularweight of 21,600 and a wet heat retention ratio of 83%.

[0257] MS-2-3: A third-regeneration pulverized material (MS-2-3) of amolded article pulverized material model was obtained in the same manneras in the preparation of MS-2-1 except that the pulverized material MS-2was replaced with MS-2-2. MS-2-3 had a viscosity average molecularweight of 21,400 and a wet heat retention ratio of B1%.

[0258] (Molded Article Pulverized Material Containing PolycarbonateResin)

[0259] Table 8 shows analysis results of from RE-1 to RE-5, and Table 9shows analysis results of from RE-6 to RE-8. TABLE 8 Unit, Analysismethod etc. RE-1 RE-2 RE-3 (i) Main resin — Polycarbonate resinPolycarbonate resin Polycarbonate resin Diene-based rubber suchDiene-based rubber such as as MBS resin, etc. ABS resin, etc. (ii)Residue of hydrazine wt % 0.3 5 25 decomposition (iii) Ashed residue wt% 0.3 0 0.7 (iv) Diene-based rubber amount wt % — 2.8 2.5 (v) Contentsof residue of — — Methyl methacrylate Acrylonitrile hydrazinedecomposition — — Butadiene Styrene — — — Butadiene — — Methylmethacrylate — — 2-ethylhexyl acrylate — — — (vi) Observation forinorganic — Inorganic pigment Carbon black components, etc. (vii) Typeof phosphoric ester (★) X — Derived from resorcinol Derived fromresorcinol R¹-R⁴ — Derived from xylenol Derived from xylenol Phosphoricester amount wt % — 10 10 (viii) PTFE-corresponding amount wt % — 0.20.3 Viscosity average molecular weight — 16,100 19,000 18,100 Wet heatretention ratio % 90 87 85 Unit, Analysis method etc. RE-4 RE-5 (i) Mainresin — Polycarbonate resin Polycarbonate resin Diene-based rubber suchDiene-based rubber such as ABS resin as ABS resin (ii) Residue ofhydrazine wt % 22 22 decomposition (iii) Ashed residue wt % 0.7 0.7 (iv)Diene-based rubber amount wt % 2.8 2.8 (v) Contents of residue of —Acrylonitrile Acrylonitrile hydrazine decomposition — Styrene Styrene —Butadiene Butadiene — Methyl methacrylate Methyl methacrylate — Butylacrylate Butyl acrylate — Cyclic dimethyl siloxane Cyclic dimethylsiloxane (vi) Observation for inorganic — Inorganic pigment Inorganicpigment components, etc. (vii) Type of phosphoric ester (★) X Derivedfrom resorcinol Derived from resorcinol R¹-R⁴ Derived from phenolDerived from phenol Phosphoric ester amount wt % 9 9 (viii)PTFE-corresponding amount wt % 0.3 0.3 Viscosity average molecularweight — 19,300 16,300 Wet heat retention ratio % 52 43

[0260] TABLE 9 Unit, Analysis methods etc. RE-6 RE-7 RE-8 (i) Main resin— Polycarbonate resin Polycarbonate resin Polycarbonate resinDiene-based rubber such Diene-based rubber such Polyethylene as ABSresin as ABS resin terephthalate resin (ii) Residue of hydrazine wt %25.0 22.2 10.2 decomposition (iii) Ashed residue wt % 6.2 0.7 1.9 (iv)Diene-based rubber amount wt % 2.5 2.8 6.2 (v) Contents of residue of —Acrylonitrile Acrylonitrile — hydrazine decomposition — Styrene Styrene— — Butadiene Butadiene Butadiene — Methyl methacrylate Methylmethacrylate Methyl methacrylate — 2-Ethylhexyl acrylate Butyl acrylate— — — Cyclic dimethyl siloxane — (vi) Observation for inorganic —Inorganic pigment, talc Inorganic pigment Inorganic pigment components,etc. (vii) Type of phosphoric ester (★) X Derived from resorcinolDerived from bisphenol A — R¹-R⁴ Derived from xylenol Derived fromphenol — Phosphoric ester amount wt % 10 9 — (viii) PTFE-correspondingamount wt % 0.3 0.3 0.3 (ix) Presence of bromine compound — No No Yes(x) Amount of bromine compound wt % — — 8 (xi) Polycarbonate/poly-ester— — — 65/35 amount ratio (weight ratio) Viscosity average molecularweight — 18,900 17,700 20,300 Wet heat retention ratio % 88 80 88

[0261] RE-1: A polycarbonate resin molded article used as a cover of abathroom lamp sold on market was washed with tap water, dried with a hotair dryer and then pulverized with a pulverizer (SB-210; supplied byHorai Co., Ltd.) at a process performance rate of 70 kg/hour, and thepulverized material was uniformly blended with a V-shaped blender togive a pulverized material (RE-1). RE-1 was composition-analyzed to showresults as shown in Table 8. RE-1 had a viscosity average molecularweight of 16,100 and a wet heat retention ratio of 90%.

[0262] RE-2: A molded article used as a battery pack of a notebookcomputer sold on market was washed with water, dried, pulverized andblended in the same manner as in the preparation of RE-1, to obtain apulverized material (RE-2). RE-2 was composition-analyzed to showresults as shown in Table 8. RE-2 had a viscosity average molecularweight of 19,000 and a wet heat retention ratio of 87%.

[0263] RE-3: A molded article that was used as a housing of a notebookcomputer sold on market and had a conductive coating film and a metalplating film was immersed in an aqueous nitric acid solution, and themolded article was washed with water to obtain a molded article fromwhich metal components were removed. Then, the molded article waspulverized and blended in the same manner as in the preparation of RE-1,to obtain a pulverized material (RE-3). RE-3 was composition-analyzed toshow results as shown in Table 8. RE-3 had a viscosity average molecularweight of 18,100 and a wet heat retention ratio of 85%.

[0264] RE-4: A molded article used as a housing of a copying machinesold on market was washed with water, dried, pulverized and blended inthe same manner as in the preparation of RE-1, to obtain a pulverizedmaterial (RE-4). RE-4 was composition-analyzed to show results as shownin Table 8. RE-4 had a viscosity average molecular weight of 19,300 anda wet heat retention ratio of 52%.

[0265] RE-5: A molded article used as a housing of a printer sold onmarket was washed with water, dried, pulverized and blended in the samemanner as in the preparation of RE-1, to obtain a pulverized material(RE-5). RE-5 was composition-analyzed to show results as shown in Table8, and it was found to be almost similar to RE-4. RE-5 had a viscosityaverage molecular weight of 16,300 and a wet heat retention ratio of43%.

[0266] RE-6: A molded article that was used as a housing of a notebookcomputer sold on market and had a conductive coating film and a metalplating film was immersed in an aqueous nitric acid solution, and themolded article was washed with water to obtain a light-gray moldedarticle from which metal components were removed. The molded article waswashed with water, dried, pulverized and blended in the same manner asin the preparation of RE-1, to obtain a pulverized material (RE-6). RE-6was composition-analyzed to show results as shown in Table 9. RE-6 had aviscosity average molecular weight of 18,900 and a wet heat retentionratio of 88%.

[0267] RE-7: A housing molded article (colored in ivory) of a copyingmachine was washed with water, dried, pulverized and blended in the samemanner as in the preparation of RE-1, to obtain a pulverized material(RE-7). RE-7 was composition-analyzed to show results as shown in Table9. RE-7 had a viscosity average molecular weight of 17,700 and a wetheat retention ratio of 80%.

[0268] RE-8: A molded article (colored in black) forming an internalpart of a printer was washed with water, dried, pulverized and blendedin the same manner as in the preparation of RE-1, to obtain a pulverizedmaterial (RE-8). RE-8 was composition-analyzed to show results as shownin Table 9. RE-8 had a viscosity average molecular weight of 20,300 anda wet heat retention ratio of 88%.

[0269] (Polycarbonate resin)

[0270] PC-1: Polycarbonate resin

[0271] L-1225WP (viscosity average molecular weight 22,500): supplied byTeijin Chemicals, Ltd.

[0272] PC-2: Polycarbonate resin

[0273] K-1300W (viscosity average molecular weight 30,000); supplied byTeijin Chemicals, Ltd.

[0274] (Styrene-based resin)

[0275] ST-1: ABS resin

[0276] Santac UT-61; supplied by Nippon A & L. Inc.

[0277] (Polyester resin)

[0278] PET: Polyethylene terephthalate resin

[0279] TR-8580H; supplied by Teijin Limited.

[0280] PBT: Polybutylene terephthalate resin

[0281] TRB-J; supplied by Teijin Limited.

[0282] (Flame retardant)

[0283] FR-1: Triphenyl phosphate

[0284] TPP; supplied by Daihachi Chemical Industry, Co., Ltd.

[0285] FR-2: Resorcinol bis(dixylenyl phosphate)

[0286] Adekastab FP-500; supplied by Asahi Denka Kogyo K.K.

[0287] FR-3: Bisphenol A bis(diphenyl phosphate)

[0288] CR-741; supplied by Daihachi Chemical Industry, Co., Ltd.

[0289] FR-4: Resorcinol bis(diphenyl phosphate)

[0290] CR-733S; supplied by Daihachi Chemical Industry, Co., Ltd.

[0291] FR-5: Carbonate oligomer of tetrabromobisphenol A

[0292] Fireguard FG-7000, supplied by Teijin Chemicals, Ltd.

[0293] (Rubber elastomer)

[0294] MD-1: Methyl methacrylate-ethyl acrylate-butadiene copolymer

[0295] Paraloid EXL-2602, supplied by Kureha Chemical Industry, Co. Ltd.

[0296] MD-2: 2-Ethylhexyl acrylate-butadiene-methyl methacrylate-styrenemultistep polymerized graft copolymer

[0297] HIA-15; supplied by Kureha Chemical Industry, Co., Ltd.

[0298] MD-3: Composite elastomer of polyorganosiloxane rubber componentand polyalkyl (meth)acrylate rubber component

[0299] Metablen S-2001; supplied by Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd.

[0300] SIS: Thermoplastic styrene elastomer

[0301] Septon 2005; supplied by Kuraray Co., Ltd.

[0302] (Reinforcing filler)

[0303] TD: Talc

[0304] HS-T0.8 (average particle diameter, approximately 5 μm, measuredby a laser diffraction method) supplied by Hayashi Kasei Co., Ltd.

[0305] (Dripping preventing agent)

[0306] PTFE: Polytetrafluoroethylene having fibril formabilityPolyfureon MPA FA-500; supplied by Daikin Industries, Ltd.

[0307] (Others)

[0308] COMP: additive containing a polyester-styrene based elastomercopolymer

[0309] TK-S7300; supplied by Kuraray Co., Ltd.

[0310] S-1: Phosphite antioxidant

[0311] IRGAFOS168; supplied by Ciba-Geigy Japan Ltd.

[0312] (Colorant master)

[0313] DC-1: Dry color master that is a mixture prepared byhomogeneously mixing the following dyes or pigments (i) to (v) and PC-1with a super mixer. Parenthesized weight percentages is a percentagewhen the DC-1=100% by weight.

[0314] (i) PC-1 (65.6067% by weight)

[0315] (ii) RTC30 (33.3333% by weight)

[0316] (Titanium oxide; R-TC30 supplied by Tioxide Japan. Oxide Japan.

[0317] (iii) CB970 (0.6933% by weight)

[0318] (Carbon black; Carbon Black #970 supplied by Mitsubishi ChemicalCorporation.).

[0319] (iv) Y8010 (0.2000% by weight)

[0320] (Yellow dye; Plast Yellow 8010, supplied by Arimoto Chemical Co.,Ltd.).

[0321] (v) R8360 (0.1667% by weight)

[0322] (Red dye; Plast Red 8360, supplied by Arimoto Chemical Co.,Ltd.).

[0323] DC-2: Dry color master that is a mixture prepared byhomogeneously mixing the following dyes or pigments (vi) to (x) and PC-1with a super mixer. Parenthesized weight percentages is a percentagewhen the DC-2=100% by weight.

[0324] (vi) PC-1 (47.673% by weight)

[0325] (vii) RL-91 (50.000% by weight)

[0326] (Titanium oxide; TIONA RL-91, supplied by Millennium InorganicChem.)

[0327] (viii) CB970 (0.111% by weight)

[0328] (Carbon black; Carbon Black #970 supplied by Mitsubishi ChemicalCorporation).

[0329] (ix) Y118S (2.171% by weight)

[0330] Titanium Yellow; Ferro Color 42-118S, supplied by Ferro EnamelsJapan Ltd.).

[0331] (x) R8370 (0.045% by weight)

[0332] (Red dye; Plast Red 8370, supplied by Arimoto Chemical Co.,Ltd.).

[0333] Effect of the Invention

[0334] The regenerated resin composition of the present invention hasexcellent properties of an aromatic polycarbonate resin, and it isexcellent in initial mechanical strength, particularly impactresistance, and excellent in effect of retaining mechanical strength andflame retardancy for a long period of time. Therefore, not only itenables efficient recycling of molded articles made of a polycarbonateresin that is from used and discarded products such as electric andelectronic machines and equipment, office automation machines andequipment, and the like, but also it has properties sufficient forre-use in these products, so that it is very useful in view ofenvironmental protection and re-use of resources and produces aremarkable industrial effect.

1. A regenerated resin composition comprising (I) a molded articlepulverized material (Component A) that satisfies conditions (1) that themolded article pulverized material is a pulverized material of a moldedarticle having an aromatic polycarbonate resin content of 30 to 98% byweight, (2) that the pulverized material has a viscosity averagemolecular weight of 17,000 to 30,000, and (3) that the pulverizedmaterial has a wet heat retention ratio of at least 60%, and (II) anaromatic polycarbonate resin (Component B).
 2. The regenerated resincomposition of claim 1, which has a pulverized material (Component A)content of 5 to 60% by weight and an aromatic polycarbonate resin(Component B) content of 5 to 90% by weight.
 3. The regenerated resincomposition of claim 1, wherein the pulverized material (Component A)has a wet heat retention ratio of at least 70%.
 4. The regenerated resincomposition of claim 1, wherein the pulverized material (Component A)contains a styrene-based resin (Component A-2-PS) or an aromaticpolyester resin (Component A-2-PE).
 5. The regenerated resin compositionof claim 1, wherein the pulverized material (Component A) contains 1 to65% by weight of Component A-2-PS or Component A-2-PE.
 6. Theregenerated resin composition of claim 1, wherein the pulverizedmaterial (Component A) contains a flame retardant (Component A-3). 7.The regenerated resin composition of claim 1, wherein the pulverizedmaterial (Component A) contains 1 to 30% by weight of a phosphoric ester(Component A-3-a) as a flame retardant.
 8. The regenerated resincomposition of claim 1, wherein the pulverized material (Component A)contains 0.01 to 10% by weight of an organosiloxane compound (ComponentA-3-b) as a flame retardant.
 9. The regenerated resin composition ofclaim 1, wherein the pulverized material (Component A) contains 0.0005to 1% by weight of an alkali (alkaline earth) metal salt (ComponentA-3-c) as a flame retardant.
 10. The regenerated resin composition ofclaim 1, wherein the pulverized material (Component A) contains 0.5 to20% by weight of an impact modifier (Component A-4).
 11. The regeneratedresin composition of claim 1, wherein the pulverized material (ComponentA) contains 1 to 60% by weight of a reinforcing filler (Component A-5).12. The regenerated resin composition of claim 1, wherein the pulverizedmaterial (Component A) has an aromatic polycarbonate resin (ComponentA-1) content of 40 to 90% by weight.
 13. The regenerated resincomposition of claim 1, wherein the pulverized material (Component A)has a viscosity average molecular weight of 18,000 to 26,000.
 14. Theregenerated resin composition of claim 1, which has a pulverizedmaterial (Component A) content of 6 to 50% by weight and an aromaticpolycarbonate resin (Component B) content of 10 to 85% by weight. 15.The regenerated resin composition of claim 1, which is a regeneratedresin composition composed of the pulverized material (Component A) andthe aromatic polycarbonate resin (Component B), wherein the regeneratedresin composition (Component C) is a composition that contains (1) 30 to96% by weight of an aromatic polycarbonate resin (Component C-1), (2) 3to 40% by weight of a styrene-based resin (Component C-2-PS), and (3)0.01 to 30% by weight of a flame retardant (Component C-3).
 16. Theregenerated resin composition of claim 15, which further contains 0.5 to20% by weight of an impact modifier (Component C-4).
 17. The regeneratedresin composition of claim 15 or 16, which further contains 1 to 60% byweight of a reinforcing filler (Component C-5).
 18. The regeneratedresin composition of claim 15, which contains, as the flame retardant(Component C-3), 1 to 30% by weight of a phosphoric ester (ComponentC-3-a).
 19. The regenerated resin composition of claim 15, which gives amolded article having a wet heat retention ratio of at least 60%. 20.The regenerated resin composition of claim 15, which gives a moldedarticle having an impact value retention ratio of at least 60%.
 21. Theregenerated resin composition of claim 15, which gives a molded articlethat satisfies V-0 in a flame retardancy test according to UL-94. 22.The regenerated resin composition of claim 1, which is a regeneratedresin composition composed of the pulverized material (Component A) andthe aromatic polycarbonate resin (Component B), wherein the regeneratedresin composition (Component C) is a composition that contains (1) 30 to96% by weight of an aromatic polycarbonate resin (Component C-1), (2) 3to 40% by weight of an aromatic polyester resin (Component C-2-PE), and(3) 0.01 to 30% by weight of a flame retardant (Component C-3).
 23. Theregenerated resin composition of claim 22, which further contains 0.5 to20% by weight of an impact modifier (Component C-4).
 24. The regeneratedresin composition of claim 22 or 23, which further contains 1 to 60% byweight of a reinforcing filler (Component C-5).
 25. The regeneratedresin composition of claim 22, which gives a molded article having a wetheat retention ratio of at least 60%.
 26. The regenerated resincomposition of claim 22, which gives a molded article having an impactvalue retention ratio of at least 60%.
 27. The regenerated resincomposition of claim 22, which gives a molded article that satisfies V-0in a flame retardancy test according to UL-94.
 28. The regenerated resincomposition of claim 1, which is a regenerated resin compositioncomposed of the pulverized material (Component A) and the aromaticpolycarbonate resin (Component B), wherein the regenerated resincomposition (Component C) is a composition which contains (1) 50 to 98%by weight of an aromatic polycarbonate resin (Component C-1), (2) 0.01to 30% by weight of a flame retardant (Component C-3), and (3) 0 to 20%by weight of an impact modifier (Component C-4).
 29. The regeneratedresin composition of claim 28, which further contains 1 to 30% by weightof a reinforcing filler (Component C-5).
 30. The regenerated resincomposition of claim 28, which contains, as the flame retardant(Component C-3), 1 to 30% by weight of a phosphoric ester (ComponentC-3-a).
 31. The regenerated resin composition of claim 28, which gives amolded article having a wet heat retention ratio of at least 60%. 32.The regenerated resin composition of claim 28, which gives a moldedarticle having an impact value retention ratio of at least 60%.
 33. Theregenerated resin composition of claim 28, which gives a molded articlethat satisfies V-0 in a flame retardancy test according to UL-94.
 34. Amolded article formed of the regenerated resin composition recited inany one of claims 1, 15, 22 or
 28. 35. The molded article of claim 34,which has a wet heat retention ratio of at least 60%.